Black and Red
by IndigoBlueButterfly
Summary: Thalia is an orphan and, for lack of a better word, a street rat. After escaping a band of thugs, she did not expect to be so quickly adopted into the Phantomhive household, and she didn't expect to develop feelings for a certain red-eyed butler. SebastienxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Street Rat**

**Thalia's POV**

My footsteps pounded on the rough cobblestones as the cries of the men behind me grew louder. I turned a corner and quickly leaped over a broken wheelbarrow that had been left there. It was piled high with all sorts of rubbish, and had probably been turned into a sort of local dustbin.

I smirked and spun around, my foot connecting with the handle. The wheelbarrow tipped over, and began to roll. I didn't wait to see if it did its job, but judging by the disgusted cries I guessed that it had performed well. Still, that would only be, at best, a quick deterrent. The stronger, more determined ones would soon come after me.

My name is Thalia Hawthorne. It is such a fancy name for an orphan and a street rat, isn't it? But, I suppose that doesn't matter. What's in a name, truly? They're just a bunch of letters put together and sounded out, and we all simply decided to answer to them. Maybe they're more than that, since they do have meanings. My name means 'grace'. However, that isn't something I've been seeing most of my life.

I skirted a corner and nearly crashed into a carriage that was parked by the side of the street. "Oi," the carriage driver yelled at me.

"Sorry!" The sound of the footsteps behind me was getting louder. I quickly pulled out my small bag of money and turned back to the carriage driver. "Wait, how far will you take me for this?" I emptied out a few gold coins into my palm and held it up.

His eyebrows went up at the sudden display of riches. No, I didn't steal them. It simply turned out that city people were very interested in tricks and acrobatics. "I could take you as far as Houndsworth, kid," he eyed the coins in my palm greedily. "But it isn't a place for good children."

"There she is! Don't let her get away!"

I blanched and hopped into the carriage compartment, tossing the coins into his open palm and stuffing the cloth bag into my pocket. "I'll risk that! Now go!" I was thrown back as the carriage set off at full pelt. The angry cries of my chasers began to grow quieter as the carriage wheels raced over the roads.

Finally, I couldn't hear them anymore. I exhaled a sigh of relief and slumped down into the seat.

After a moment, I leaned up and closed the window that would allow the driver to see me. Once that was done, I smiled and reached up to the hat I wore, and pulled it off, allowing my hair to spill over my shoulders and down my back.

My hair was white, but it somehow darkened to pale red near the tips. Because of this unique gradation of colour, I usually hid most of it under the hat. It was a very strange colouring, and it would make it very easy for me to be spotted. I suppose I could cut it, but my hair was something I'd inherited from my mother. There was no way I would part with it.

Since girls didn't usually wear pageboy hats, I usually went about the streets dressed as a boy. It was the only way I was able to maneuver through the busy streets without attracting unwanted attention. Trousers were also more comfortable than skirts when it came to self-defence.

I slid my fingers into the pocket of my trousers and drew out my treasure: my mother's ring. She had given it to me when I was very little, and then it had barely fit me so I wore it on my thumb. I held the beautiful, silver band in one hand, topped with a red diamond. My mother used to call it the Dragon Eye diamond. When I held it up to my face, the claret red stone glowed the same colour as my eyes.

_Mother…_ I slipped the ring on and examined it in the sunlight. It fit perfectly, like it was always meant for my finger. _Mother…_

I exhaled another breath of air, and flopped back on the seat. A moment later, my eyes slipped shut and I fell asleep.

oOo

The carriage rolled over the road, which had not been used often not in quite a while, noisily. The road was flanked on both sides by low hills and higher, sloping ground. The sky above was grey and overcast, but not with rain. It merely seemed to be the default setting of the weather in this place.

In spite of this, most of the occupants of the carriage were rather excited. "Resort, resort! We're on cloud nine!" They continued to chant this, and had been chanting this, for quite a while.

"It's amazing, isn't it Meirin?" Finnian grinned at the maid. "Doesn't it move you?"

"It truly does!" She replied back, with just as much excitement. "To think that we were invited to visit and spend time in her majesty's own resort!"

"Our young master definitely has his good side too!" Bard grinned.

At the front of the carriage, Sebastien smiled. "They're certainly in high spirits, aren't they?" He directed this question to the young master, Ciel Phantomhive, who was definitely not feeling the same level of cheer and excitement as the servants. "It seems that they are thanking you, kind young master."

Ciel scoffed and looked away, denying the compliment. "It would be problematic if we left them at the mansion and they ended up destroying it."

Sebastien smiled to himself. "Indeed." Just then, they reached a dark wooden sign that read _Welcome to Houndsworth_. A dog chain hung from one side, and a raven perched on the other. Sebastien paused the carriage there and looked at the sign. "This is the village entrance."

Beside the sign was a large tree, which was bare and ugly. Metal dog collars and chains hung from the branches like nooses. On the ground, below the tree, were the skulls of numerous dogs that had been left there for quite a while. All in all, it was a truly terrifying sight.

The servants screamed. Ciel inclined his head towards them. "I forgot to mention, but this is the planned construction site for her majesty's resort."

"Young master…"

Meirin exhaled a disappointed breath, and then blinked. "Huh, what's that?" She pointed at a nearby tree. There was something perched on one of the branches. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a person. Below the tree were dogs, but the person didn't seem too concerned with them. Dogs couldn't climb trees.

Ciel blinked, and then he turned to his butler. "Sebastien, get rid of those dogs."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastien jumped down from his seat and began to walk towards the tree. As he walked, he noticed the unconscious body of a man lying a few feet away. The dogs, sensing a new intruder, turned to him and snarled. Sebastien's eyes narrowed and glowed slightly. Immediately, they whimpered and cowered back.

The person in the tree whistled. "Whoa, I have got to learn how to do that!" With that, they hopped down easily. "Thanks."

From the angle of the hat, Sebastien couldn't tell what gender the person was. The voice sounded feminine enough, but the height (or lack of it, this person was only about an inch or so taller than Ciel) also meant that it could be a young boy. He nodded at the person, shaking off his curiosity, and smiled politely. "You're welcome."

**Thalia's POV**

I turned away from my saviour, feeling a blush rise on my cheeks. He was undeniably attractive, with air like black silk and eyes like rubies and blood. People used to liken my eyes to red wine. His eyes were even more beautiful, and they glinted with something strange and wild behind the calm exterior.

The bundle in my arms moved and I looked away from him. "What is that?" He asked curiously. I smiled and uncrossed my arms to reveal something furry and black, with small teeth and a coiling tail.

"It's a kitten," I showed it to him cheerfully, feeling more at ease now that I wasn't thinking about how handsome he was. The kitten in my arm yawned, and its claws came out slightly. "I found it a little way away, after I…"

_After that carriage driver tried to cheat me. Ha, he's learned a lesson now, hasn't he?_ I smirked to myself as I remembered.

"…after I got off my carriage," I finished with a shrug.

He gave me a look like he knew I was withholding information, but didn't care enough to extract it, and then returned his gaze back to the cat. I saw the way he was staring at it: like it was the most amazing animal in the world and he really, _really_ wanted to cuddle it.

I smiled and held out the half-grown cat. "Here, you can hold her. I named her Morgan! You know, like the witch Morgan le Fey."

"Morgan…" he murmured. "Soft, so soft…" he tickled my cat under its chin, and squeezed her paws gently. I had to admit, it was kind of interesting seeing a grown man playing with a cat, but also kind of cute.

I folded my arms over my chest and muttered under my breath. "How dare those mangy mutts try to hurt such a cute little kitten?"

He looked at me then. "Ah, you're hurt."

I blinked and looked down at my arm. There was blood seeping out and staining the white fabric of my shirt. I shrugged. "Yeah, the guy who owned the dogs had a knife. He must have landed a cut before I knocked him down."

He handed me back my cat and bowed slightly at the waist. "Then, would you permit us the pleasure of your company?"

I arched an eyebrow at the sudden invitation. "Are you sure? You don't have to take me anywhere. It's already enough that you scared those dogs away. Anyway," I turned to leave. "I'm sure your master doesn't want an orphaned street rat in his carriage."

I had only taken two steps in the other direction when arms wrapped around me and I was hoisted up into his arms. His eyes gleamed wickedly. "It was less of a question, and more of a polite order."

"Hey, let go of me!" I struggled in his arms, but I had to be careful because Morgan was still with me and I didn't want to accidentally crush her. Besides, I had the feeling that even if I had been fighting with maximum strength, I still wouldn't have been able to get out of his arms. Still, I tried. "Hey!"

He carried me to his carriage and placed me beside it. Sitting in front was a young boy, he could only have been twelve or so, wearing a top hat and a black cloak. His expression was stoic, and he wore an eye-patch over his left eye. His other eye was dark blue in colour.

"Sebastien, what is this?" He asked. "Why did you bring this boy here?"

The guy beside me – so his name was Sebastien? – bowed at the waist. "This person has injuries, young master. I felt that we could assist him."

"Hey," I pulled off my hat and let my hair down. "I'm not a guy, I'm completely female. It's the pants, right? Sorry, it's the only way to move around easily. And, yeah, if you're sure you don't mind, I'll take you up on the whole hospitality thing."

**Sebastien's POV**

The second her hair came down, a delicious scent flooded my nose. What was this? It smelled…sweet. Not like the master's soul, this one was different. This was was like fine wine left to age for years.

Suddenly, I was aware of everything that made her feminine. The soft curve of her neck, the gentle tapering of her fingers, the plump crescent of her bottom lip, coated with a glistening sheen over the pink. These things excited me more than any other woman had ever.

I felt a familiar warmth in my eyes and smirked slightly as I took my seat and started the carriage off again. Whoever this woman was, she would soon be mine.


	2. Village of Dogs

**Me: I forgot to do this in the last chapter. Anyway, you guys, this is my first Black Butler fanfic, so please be nice in your reviews and constructive criticisms (meaning no flames people). Anyway, without further ado, I present **_**Black and Red**_**!**

**Undertaker: Heehee~ sounds interesting…~**

**Me: …how do characters get into these author notes anyway?**

**Ciel: You're the author of this thing, you tell us**

**Me: OMG, MY CHIBI EARL! *glomps him tightly* AW, SUCH A CUTE LITTLE TSUNDERE!**

**Ciel: *blushes and struggles* Oi, Sebastien! Get her off me!**

**Me: *quickly types up a playground full of cats into existence***

**Sebastien: *sparkles and blushes slightly* so soft…did you say something, young master?**

**Undertaker: Heehee~ she is quite interesting…**

**Me: Oh yeah! I wanted to check something… *drops Ciel like a sack and walks over to Undertaker and parts his fringe* Holy maple… *collapses to the ground, clutching stomach* my ovaries, I can't do this, it's too much…**

**Undertaker: Did I do something wrong? *laughs***

**Ciel: *Sighs* no, I think she's just fangirled herself to the ground**

**Me: Help, I've fangirled and I can't get up **

**Ciel: *sighs* Butterfly does not own us whatsoever, and we thank our souls for that**

**Village of Dogs**

**Thalia's POV**

It had been a while since such a plush environment surrounded me. I was careful not to touch anything, and I kept Morgan coiled around my neck so she wouldn't get the urge to touch anything either.

The maid turned to me. She wore round, circular glasses which didn't allow me to see her eyes, and had a ditzy, but oddly strong aura. "Hello, my name is Mey-Rin. What's your name?"

I smiled back at her. "I'm Thalia. It's nice to meet you." I turned to the boy beside me. he had large, blue-green eyes and blonde hair held back with a few barrette clips. "What about you?"

"Oh, uh, me?" He blushed slightly. "I'm Finnian, but you can just call me Finny."

"Finny," I repeated. "That's cute. I like it." He blushed more and ducked his head.

"I'm Bard," the blonde man on my other side said. He looked curious. "If you don't mind me asking Miss, why is your hair that colour?"

"Okay, one, don't call me _miss_," I smiled at him. "Call me Thalia. As for my hair…" I paused. "…I don't know. Something happened to me and part of my hair turned white. I originally had red hair, you know," I ran a hand through my straight, waist length hair. The last time I had tried to cut off the red, the tips of my newly cut hair had turned red as well, like it was bleeding.

"Oooh…" they looked interested now. I giggled. The movement roused Morgan, who had decided that my neck was an excellent place to take a nap. She mewed and extended her claws a little way into my shoulder.

"Hey, hey, watch it," I put her on my lap. "I'm glad you aren't fully grown, otherwise that would have hurt a lot."

Finnian turned his head and continued watching the road. Suddenly, he beamed and pointed. "First villager sighted!"

This villager appeared to be an old woman, bent over with age, wearing a drab, grey cloak and pushing a baby stroller. I don't know if it was the mist, the grey, or my mind telling me that _no one_ in their right mind would take a baby out in this sort of weather, but something about that woman freaked me out.

Apparently, Finnian didn't share my opinion. "Tanaka, stop for a minute!" The woman had stopped too, and was simply pushing the stroller back and forth, and back and forth, like it was stuck. Finnian jumped down from the carriage and ran over to her. "I'll help you, miss."

"Be careful, Finny," I told him worriedly. "I don't think you should do that."

"Miss Thalia's right," Mey-rin said. "If you're not careful, the baby will be hu-!"

I watched Finny accidentally lift the stroller up above his head. Then he panicked. "AH, I'm sorry!" He then slammed the stroller down. I sweatdropped at that random, clumsy display of strength, and then peered into the stroller while Mey-rin asked if the baby was alright.

What I saw made my eyes widen in surprise. "That's not a baby."

And it wasn't. Inside the carriage was a skeleton of a dog, most likely a puppy, swaddled in baby blankets like it was a real baby. That was when the old woman spoke. "You know, this little one was eaten by _that_," she said quietly. With those words, she walked off, chanting quietly to herself. "_The small, white-haired dog is a good dog. The black dog is a bad, disobedient dog…_"

I stared after her with wide eyes. "Well damn…"

Ciel stared after her as well. "I've heard that quite a number of people in this village have been murdered or are missing. The population of the people here has decreased by a third in the last ten years."

"Then, pardon my asking, why did you come here again?" I crawled over to the edge of the carriage so I could see him better.

He looked surprised that I was talking, but shrugged. "Investigating and resolving this situation was one of the jobs I was given. As the Queen's watchdog, it is my duty to calm her majesty's heart."

"The Queen's…watchdog…" I murmured. My eyes fell on the butler in front, and widened when I realised that he was staring at me. He smirked then, a slow curve of his lips, and I scrambled backwards until I was out of sight.

_What is wrong with me?_ I growled to myself. _Get your act together Thalia! _Behind us, the old woman had disappeared into the mist. I watched her go, wondering, _where is she going?_ I heard her last words before she disappeared fully. "_…it'll eat you down to the bone…_"

After a few more minutes of driving, we eventually reached…wherever these guys were going before they picked me up. Everyone else seemed to also have regained their good spirits, especially when the town came into sight. "Ah, that's more like it!" Bard grinned widely.

The whole town still had this dismal air, but the appearance of less creepy people going about their usual business lessened it somewhat. We passed by a young man with a cage of dogs. He seemed to be training one, giving it commands. The dog performed well each time, and at the end, the man hugged it gently and praised it. I smiled slightly. I loved animals, dogs included. They were one of the few animals actually capable of feeling genuine love and affection. They were willing to do anything for their master, even if it meant laying down their own lives, simply because they love.

Or because…that was what they were trained to do.

I frowned at that depressing train of thought. Maybe it was the aura of the town. Everything here seemed so gloomy and grey and shrouded in darkness. I tied my hair up again, but this time I put it in a low ponytail and not a bun. I didn't feel the need to be taken for a boy here. Finally, I put my hat on.

Eventually, we pulled up to a large, stone building, and a woman ran out to meet us. She had white hair, which partially covered one eye, and purple eyes. She was dressed in a white and purple maid uniform. "Would you be the Phantomhive party?"

Sebastien nodded curtly. "Yes."

She bowed slightly. "Welcome to Barrymore castle. The master is awaiting your arrival."

I didn't like her. I wondered if I was being a bit too early in my judgement, but something about her rubbed me the wrong way. Something told me that she wasn't what she appeared to be. Years of living on the streets had taught me to trust my instincts most of the time, they were rarely ever wrong.

Once again, no one else seemed to share my internal opinion. "What a pretty lady," Mey-rin looked admiring. Finny…well, he had the look of a lovestruck puppy. I rolled my eyes. I would have hit him upside the head, but I barely knew him and he was cute as hell so…I restrained myself and decided not to voice my doubts. After all, as I said before, it could just be the atmosphere of the place.

She led us into the castle, which did little for my overall sense of well-being. It was just as dark and as gloomy as the outside, maybe even gloomier. When we got to the main room, I had to stifle the urge to either scream, or kill the owner.

All over the walls were the heads of numerous animals that had been hunted and stuffed. Morgan yowled quietly. She curled herself tighter around my neck, and narrowed her golden eyes into wary slits. I stroked her gently. And then I heard a whipping sound.

A man was attacking the maid with a whip. There were cuts all over her body, and bruises. "What's with this little Chihuahua?" He whipped her several more times. "I was told to welcome the queen's envoy! Angela, are you not even capable of something as simple as that?"

My eyes narrowed. _You will pay for that. _

I barely noticed Ciel when he looked up at his butler. "Sebas-!"

Before the word was out of his mouth, I had already darted forward and grabbed the arm that the man was using to hit the maid, Angela. He turned to glare at me angrily. "What are you doing, you husky?" He snarled. "Get off me, you bitch!"

_Does he just call people by dog breeds? _I smirked and tightened my grip on his wrist. "Oh, so I'm a husky? That's okay, I like huskies!" And with that, I kicked his legs out from under him and twisted his arm behind his back almost 180 degrees. In this position, I knew that he wouldn't be able to move too well. One wrong move and his arm would snap. I turned to Angela. "Are you alright?"

Alright, even if I didn't like her very much, she was still a person. People feel pain. No one deserves to be at the brunt of some spoiled, fifty-year-old child with a superiority-complex anger.

She stared at me and nodded. I smiled back, and that was when I heard someone sigh behind me. "Thalia," Ciel said. "I think you should release the man now."

Oh…yeah…I let go of his arm and casually backflipped off his back. Once I was standing on my two feet, I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Sorry. I tend to do things like that a lot," I glared at Barrymore. "People shouldn't treat other people like livestock."

He snarled at me. "Why you little-!"

I smirked and ran a hand through my hair lazily. "Come closer and I really will break your arm, _bitch_." His face turned red and he took a step towards me.

Ciel sighed again and I kept quiet. I don't know why, but I was beginning to like this kid. "Thalia, calm down," he turned to Barrymore and casually took a seat. "I take it the letter was delivered. I am Ciel Phantomhive."

Lord Barrymore looked surprised and angry. Angry seemed to be his default expression as well. "Are you telling me that this Toy Poodle is the queen's envoy?"

Ciel wasn't even fazed. There was such proud smugness radiating off his form that I had to grin. "Are smaller dogs not acceptable too you, Lord Henry?" _Man I am _really_ beginning to like this kid!_

Angela served tea while Ciel and the basta – I mean – _Lord Henry Barrymore_ went over some plans. As for me, I went to stand at the window because there was really nothing else for me to do. Sebastien and Angela had the tea covered, and I had literally _no idea _what those two were talking about.

I turned when Barrymore dropped the papers and folded his arms. "This isn't even worth discussing," he said. "No matter what you propose, I am not selling."

"State your reason," Ciel arched an eyebrow.

Barrymore stared at him hard, apparently very serious. "The curse." At our confused stares, he began to explain that there was curse on the land that affected people who would try to steal the land. "Even if it were the queen herself, the curse would still affect her. A terrible fate will befall those who go against the Barrymore family in this village!"

"Huh," I muttered to myself with my arms folded across my chest. "How coincidental. Against the Barrymore family you say?" _You've more or less admitted that you're behind all the attacks!_

Apparently, Ciel also shared my thoughts. FINALLY! I was liking this kid more and more! "Oh?" Ciel smirked. "How interesting."

Barrymore scowled. "What?"

"In that case," he leaned back in his chair. "I will remain here as long as it takes to witness this _terrible fate_ firsthand."

I giggled at the look on Barrymore's face. _Oooh, he looks mad! He looks like he's about to pop a vessel! That would be hilarious to see, if his head suddenly exploded into a geyser of blood and steam. Wow, I'm having some seriously violent thoughts. It's probably because he's a bad person and I haven't eaten in a while._

Ciel turned to me and his gaze fell on my arm. Oh yeah, I forgot I was still injured. Well, it wasn't that bad of an injury. "Sebastien, bandage Thalia's wound." He muttered something else that I didn't hear, but Sebastien obviously did.

"Yes, my lord." Angela gestured for us to follow her. Sebastien walked over to me and placed his hand on my arm to lead me. I caught Angela's staring at us and her expression wasn't the happiest. My earlier reservations about her came back to me.

She led us to an empty room, and then left. "Please sit, Miss," Sebastien gestured to the chair in the room. There was sink in the room, and a basin which he filled with water. All the while, I was too aware of the fact that I was alone with a man whose presence affected me more than I cared to admit.

_Then don't admit it, idiot,_ I scolded myself. He came back with the basin of water and the cloth, and knelt down in front of me. His hand grasped mine, and in a quick move he tore the sleeve of my shirt up to the elbow.

I yelped before I could stop myself. "Hey!"

"I'm sorry, miss," he smirked at me. "But it was either this, or you took off the shirt entirely."

I flushed darkly and scowled at him. "Just get this over with and let me go."

**Sebastien's POV**

Blood…

Demons love blood. The smell, the taste, the colour. The area of the cut had already begun to dry and scab over, but there was still blood on her skin. I wanted to lick it, break the wound again and lap at her skin. I would have, had my young master not ordered me to not hurt her in any way.

The scent was back, stronger now. This wasn't the scent of a meal, but of something else. I wanted her. I wanted to run my hands over her body, under her clothes and caress her skin.

All too soon, I had wiped the last traces of blood off her skin and covered the wound with a bandage. She touched it, and looked up at me with a half-smile. "Thank you."

I forced a smile and got to my feet. "You're welcome, miss."

"Don't call me miss," she smiled. "My name is Thalia. Call me that."

Thalia. The name rolled off my tongue like silk and smoke. I nodded and she walked out of the room. I bent and picked up the sleeve that I had torn. The blood on it was dry, but when I brought it to my nose, the scent was still there. I inhaled it deeply, and my eyes glowed red when I finally opened my eyes.

_She will be mine._

**Me: Sebastien, calm your bloodlust**

**Sebastien: You're the one typing the story**

**Me: True…anyway, read and review everyone!**


	3. Bad Dogs

**I'm so glad some people actually enjoy this story! It's a real mood-booster! My internet rab out and my dad was atcing stingy about paying for it again so I'm borrowing my mom's.**

**I do not own Black Butler. If I did, I would own Sebastian and the Undertaker and my life would be beautiful.**

**Bad Dogs**

**Thalia's POV**

When I woke up the next morning, I briefly forgot where I was. Mey-Rin's bed next to mine was empty. The sheets were folded and the bed had been straightened. I yawned and wondered why she hadn't woken me up when she had gotten up.

Morgan was lying beside my pillow, her face half buried in her paws. I stroked her side gently, and she purred in tired recognition. I stretched and climbed out of the bed, kicking my bedclothes into a pile in the centre of the bed. I quickly grabbed my clothes from the end of the bed and the floor. I pulled on my boots and frowned when I noticed how tattered they were. The walk yesterday must have really done a number on them. I wondered if I would even be able to get new ones.

I found the rest of the servants in the kitchen drinking tea with Angela. I paused for a second in the doorway, and then shrugged and walked in. "Hi everyone."

Bard grinned at me and made space for me at the edge of the bench, which I took gratefully. "Oh, Thalia, we were just taking to Angela. Did you know that she's the only maid in this whole castle?"

"Huh, really?" I looked at the woman with mild curiousity. "Cool." I couldn't really muster up the level of enthusiasm needed to make it a real compliment, but no one seemed to notice my rather dispassionate attitude.

Angela ducked her head modestly and smiled at the tabletop. "I am nothing so grand. I do nothing but make mistakes all the time."

I rolled my eyes, but plastered on a polite and fake smile. "Oh, I'm sure you're not half as bad as you make yourself out to be Angela. After all, there are many young, able women in this village. If Barrymore needed a new maid to help you, I'm sure he'd get one."

"That's true!" Mey-rin beamed at me. "Thalia, you're so nice!" Clearly, she wasn't sensing the sarcasm in my statement. Angela's eyes narrowed at me, and flashed with something like hatred. I smirked back at her.

"If there's anything you need help with, please let us know," Bard said. "Since we're all servants, we should all get along. Right Finny?"

"Yeah, of course!" Finny smiled across the table at Angela. _Aw, he's such an adorable little munchkin!_ I gushed if none of them were very good at reading atmospheres or people whatsoever, they were all clearly honest and nice people.

Angela stopped glaring at me quickly and smiled demurely at us. "You are all so kind. Especially you, Miss Thalia." I could sense the angry sarcasm in that sentence from a mile away.

I grinned back at her mockingly. "Glad I could be of service, Miss Angela."

The bell for the main bedroom rang, and she tore her gaze away from me and got to her feet quickly. "I'm sorry, but the master is calling me so I will have to take my leave!" She left quickly and I exhaled and reached for the bread that was in the centre of the table.

"Miss Angela is so nice," Mey-Rin smiled.

"Is she?" I took a bite of the loaf. "I don't want to change your opinion of her, but I don't trust her. Something about her rubs me the wrong way. But, hey, maybe that's just me. This castle is freaking me out anyway."

They all looked at each other, and then stared at me. I knew that they didn't really believe me, but I shrugged it off and continued eating my bread in silence. When I was done, I decided to explore the castle a bit. It was huge, and dark, and really dusty, so my curiousity was not encouraged by my sanity.

Still, curiousity won out. I didn't believe in ghosts anyway, so I assumed that the only thing I needed to be worried about were the spiders (which was bad enough anyway).

The castle only seemed to get darker the higher I got, which was odd because it was late morning and almost afternoon. The sun should have been at its very brightest at that time.

When I reached the third floor, my foot knocked against a raised part of the floor panelling and I nearly tripped and fell down the stairs. _Curiousity be damned!_ I clutched onto the wall, breathing heavily._ I don't want to die yet!_

I jogged down the stairs quickly, and found myself in a long corridor that I had never seen before. I frowned and wondered if I had come down the wrong way. _Am I lost?_ I walked down the corridor slowly, shivering at the decorations. Like the study, the corridor was decorated with the trophy-heads of various animals.

_Fuck, I _am_ lost,_ I thought as I reached the end of the corridor and found that it ended just there and there were no stairs. I ran back and went back up the staircase I had taken before. When I reached the upper floor, I searched around for another staircase to lead me somewhere familiar. I inwardly yelled at myself (because there was no one else to yell at me), and tried to ignore the way my heart was beginning to beat faster. The torches on the walls flickered in my peripheral vision.

_Flames flickered behind them, casting shadows on their hooded faces. They were chanting something in low, moaning tones. "There is fire here," someone was speaking. The voice was soothing and authoritative. "But it is buried underneath the filth, the dirt."_

"Ouch!" I hissed and stared at my burned fingers. My hand had gotten too close to the fire. How had that happened?

_I screamed as the metal touched my skin. The stench of burning flesh filled my nose, and the fact that it was my flesh only made me scream louder. "Hold her down!" The voice barked. "Don't worry," it spoke to me. "This pain you feel is only the purifying fire of god!"_

I was crouching on the ground now, shaking and trying to quell the pain in my hand. My eyes were wide, but I wasn't seeing the wall or the carpet.

"_Dunk her!" They dropped me into the vat. The liquid burned where it touched. I tried to scream and swallowed it. I coughed, and inhaled more. I was drowning. I kicked and panicked, and as my vision went blurry, I was yanked upwards. They did this again, and again. I could feel myself weakening, but I wasn't about to succumb. I wasn't about to lose myself. "Do not fight this, Thalia! This is for your own good. Thalia!"_

"Thalia!"

I jerked and looked up. Sebastian. It was just Sebastian. I felt myself relax slowly. "Oh…oh, it's just you."

He smirked and knelt down in front of me. "Just me? I am offended." I cracked a slight smile, and then looked confused when he held out his hand. "You burned your hand," he took my hand and examined the pink palm. I wondered if I would get blisters. He tutted and turned his gaze back to mine. "How careless of you, Thalia," his voice was low and husky, even as he chastised me.

I flushed slightly and opened my mouth to defend myself, but in the next second I wasn't able to. Sebastian lifted my fingers to his face, and gently licked my burned fingers.

I choked on whatever I was about to say and opted to gape at him in shock. Sebastian smirked and opened his mouth to suck on my fingers, alternating between them, sometimes taking two into his mouth to taste.

Ladies and gentlemen, if I was blushing badly before people, you can imagine by now that I was probably one step away from dying of blood loss to every other part of my anatomy. His tongue curled around my pointer finger and I felt light headed. _H-holy shit!_

"There," he smirked into my eyes after sliding my fingers out of his mouth. "Does that feel better?"

I stammered over something that probably wouldn't have made sense, even if I hadn't stammered it, and then punched him in the shoulder with my uninjured arm and jumped to my feet. "The hell Sebastian? What was that for? Dammit, I _knew_ you were a pervert! I should kill you for that!" I was thankful that he was there, yelling at him distracted me from how red my face was and the memories. "Seriously, why would you-!"

"Ah, but you enjoyed it," he stood up as well, effectively towering over me, and gazed into my eyes. The eye contact flustered me more than I cared for. "Didn't you, Thalia?"

"DON'T MAKE ME SEEM LIKE SOME SORT OF WIERDO!" I snapped at him. His smile only got wider at my anger. I scowled and looked away. "Anyway, can you tell me how to get back downstairs? I can't find my way back. This place is huge."

He bowed mockingly at the waist. "Of course, _my lady_." I was suddenly struck by the urge to knee him in the stomach while he was still bent over, but I held my anger in check and simply followed him down a flight of stairs at the far end of the floor and through another corridor. After a while, my surroundings began to look more familiar.

"_Meow~_" I beamed when I spotted Morgan slinking down the hall.

I scooped her up and turned to face Sebastian. "…thank you…" I forced the words out of my mouth and gritted my teeth when he smiled that infuriating smile again.

"It was my pleasure, Thalia. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to attend to the young master." I watched him as he walked away and disappeared into one of the rooms. Morgan mewed in my arms and I snapped myself out of my daze and went to find Mey-Rin.

* * *

oOo

* * *

I avoided Sebastian for the rest of the day, which wasn't easy I'll tell you. That guy had the uncanny ability to appear if you so much as spoke his name. A case of _speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear_ I suppose. UUnfortunately, by avoiding Sebastian I also had to avoid Ciel, which was pretty annoying.

I had made the mistake of telling Mey-Rin about my encounter with Sebastian, and she spurted blood all over the kitchen floor. After we had cleaned that up, she had confessed that she also had a crush on him. I had to explain to her that I didn't have a crush on him, but my yells attracted Bard and Finny.

Bard hadn't believed me either, and had even gone so far as to _taunt _me about it. Needless to say, both Finny and Mey-Rin had to hold me back from dislocating his arm from its socket. And then Sebastian had appeared, probably drawn by all my shouting, and I'd promptly slipped out of their grip and sprinted from the room because _that's what I do dammit! _Don't question me!

Ugh…

Sometime during the night, I was awoken from my sleep by someone, or something, diving into my bed on top of me. I panicked and kicked my legs free. Some part of me thought it was Sebastian and I wondered if I had been right about him being a pervert and he was about to rape me in my sleep. rolled off the bed and flipped the person over and knocked them down, shoving their face into the pillow while I kept both of their arms pinned behind their back.

"Who are you?" I snarled.

"Mmph, Thalia, it's me!" Once I realized who it was, I groaned and released Mey-Rin. She came up with a gasp. I sat down on the bed with a grunt and crossed my legs under my thighs. I folded my arms across my chest and stared at her with thinly veiled hostility.

"What the hell, Mey-Rin?" I snapped at her. "Why did you dive into my bed? I thought you were a pervert! I was about to break your arm!" _Actually, I was about to suffocate you with my pillow, but she doesn't need to know that._

"I'm sorry Thalia, but I saw something that made me think that you might be a little bit right about Angela!" I blinked and racked my memory for whatever it was I had said about the maid. The events of the day had blanketed almost every other thing.

_Oh yeah, I don't like her,_ I remembered the conversation that had occurred early that morning._ I said something about her seemed off. _

_And, as I recall, no one believed me. _I motioned for Mey-Rin to continue her story. I was interested now. "I saw her in Barrymore's room earlier, and she was letting him touch her legs!"

The mental image in my head was enough to make me shudder with disgust. "Ew…wait, why were you looking at that anyway?"

She blushed and began to poke her fingers together nervously. "Uh, well, you see…I wanted a drink of water since I got thirsty, and I walked past the room. The door wasn't fully closed and I could hear him talking to her so I peered in and…well…"

I snickered at her red face. It was reminiscent of mine when I had accidentally spilled the beans earlier. _She is a closet pervert. _"It's okay. But, what does that have to do with me?"

"I just wanted to tell you since…" there, her voice trailed off and her eyes fixed on something behind me. "The Devil Dog…" I turned and ran to the window behind me. Outside, I could see the glowing green shape of what looked like a dog running through the streets. "Come on!" Mey-Rin grabbed me and dragged me from the room. We ran outside, and I could hear the villagers talking.

"Lord Devil Dog has appeared!"

"Who is it? Who is the bad dog?"

"Young master!" Mey-Rin called. I walked forward and shivered slightly in the cool night air. Since I didn't have any other clothes with me, I was still dressed in only my inner shirt and pants. I knelt down beside Ciel and examined the glowing green footprint in front of us.

"What is that?" I doubted that it was ectoplasm, the fluid plasma residue from ghosts. Partly because I didn't really believe in ghosts, but mostly because it didn't even look like plasma. This seemed like some sort of glittery fluid, maybe phosphorous.

"The Devil Dog appeared," Angela said worriedly, clasping her hands under her chin. I arched an eyebrow at her and rolled my eyes. Ciel caught the movement and smirked at me. I had a feeling he knew what I was thinking. _Kid, we are so in sync right now. I love you even though I've only known you for 24 hours or less._ "The one that will bring disaster to the village. Those who have disobeyed their master will be punished by the Devil Dog. That is one of the laws of the village."

I had to admit, she played the _pity-me-for-I-am-but-a-lowly-yet-obedient-maid_ act very well. Sebastien narrowed his gaze at her, and I felt glad that someone else wasn't taken with her beauty and charm. And then I remembered that he had molested my fingers very seductively earlier and I shouldn't care what he thought anyway.

"Angela…" I stood up. A mob had already gathered. It was made up of almost every man in the village, and they were all holding flaming torches and/or pitchforks. "…please inform Lord Barrymore that Lord Devil Dog has appeared."

I wanted to facepalm, but I knew that this was not the time or the place to show my obvious disdain.

She gasped and her hands went to cover her mouth. "Who was punished?"

It was the boy we had seen yesterday, the one that had been cuddling with the dog. He was bitten in several places all over his body. It was a cruel death, slow and most likely very painful. I was not a stranger to death, or to gruesome images, so I didn't flinch. I still felt sad though. Whoever he was, he hadn't deserved to die in such a way.

Ciel knelt down by the boy's body and took his hand. His eyes narrowed slightly. "I see."

"Don't touch him!" The crowd parted to reveal Lord Barrymore, the guy that I _really_ hated right now. He stared at the body. "So, the bad dog was James?"

"Yes, he broke the rule of having five dogs per person. It seemed he was keeping a sixth."

"I see," he didn't look upset in the least. "Then I suppose there was no helping it."

I snorted under my breath. "No helping it?" I repeated angrily, and I tend to get loud when I get angry. "Someone just _died_ and you're discussing it like it's the weather! What kind of stupid rule is that?"

"This village has rules set down by myself!" Barrymore growled at me. "Those who break those rules will be punished by the Devil Dog which serves the Barrymore family. I'd advise you to watch our tone, you husky!"

I was already walking forwards. "I should have broken _both _your arms when I had the chance you sick, spoiled, rotten excuse for a – mmph!" A hand came over my mouth and I was pulled backwards until my back hit a firm chest. I didn't have to look to know who it was. Luckily, it was dark and I was angry enough to not really care too much about my current position.

Since I couldn't move, I just scowled and fumed.

"Miss Thalia, please relax," Sebastien said. I couldn't see his face, but I was sure he was smirking. I scowled some more, and then watched in shock as the villagers began to chant the same thing as the old woman.

"_As the cat meows, the day breaks. The small, white-haired dog is a good dog. The black dog is a bad, disobedient dog…_" they continued to repeat the chant as James's body was carried away and the crowd followed.

"I was sure it was going to be an outsider who would fall prey," Barrymore frowned at us like he wished that was what had happened. "It seems you were spared," he and Angela followed the crowd. Sebastian released me and I immediately put space between us. My eyes narrowed at their retreating backs.

"We were spared my ass," I snorted and folded my arms.

Ciel shot me a look, probably because of my language, and turned back to watch the disappearing villagers. "You are rather perceptive," he commented. I never thought the words of a kid six years younger than I was would ever make me so happy. "James was a warning, to give us a taste of what the _Devil Dog _can do."

I nodded and tilted my head back. I stared at the sky for a few seconds, and then I sighed and stretched my arms above my head. "Well, I don't think there is anything we can do tonight. I think we should go back to bed. Maybe everything will seem better in the morning."


	4. Devil Dog

**Me: Oh wow Thalia, look, you have an admirer!**

**Thalia: *blushes and covers face* WHY ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION TO ME? I AM AN AWKWARD TOMATO!**

**Sebastian: A very sweet, plump, delectable tomato *licks lips* I would sink my teeth into that**

**Thalia: STAY OUTTA THIS YOU PERVERT!**

**Ciel: Ugh, why don't you two just get married already?**

**Me: Because it's only the fourth chapter, my cute Tsundere! I don't own Black Butler! **

**Devil Dog**

Everyone was still depressed in the morning. Except maybe me, but I was usually quite in control of most of my emotions. Still, everyone being depressed was making me feel a bit off as well. Even Morgan seemed a bit subdued.

"Ugh," I groaned from where I was lying on the grass with Morgan on my chest. "Would everyone _please_ cheer up? This includes you, Morgan." She lifted her head and yawned quietly. "You're a cat. You have literally _no_ idea what's going on, do you?"

She stared at me out of half-lidded cat eyes, and batted my nose sleepily with a paw. I sighed and let my head fall back onto the grass. I heard footsteps, and Sebastien's voice. My skin tingled slightly, and I frowned. _What the fuck? _

I had stopped avoiding Sebastian after yesterday night. Why? Well, even though he was a pervert who had violated my fingers in a dark corridor, avoiding him was affecting my ability to chat with Ciel. Besides, after last night's events, I really wanted to be able to spend time with the Earl and help him solve this mystery.

"What's wrong?" I heard Sebastian ask. I didn't want to admit that I was watching him out of my peripheral vision. "You were all so lively on the way here."

Bard frowned. "Well, it's because, ya know…" _the whole Devil Dog thing, and the fact that someone died last night and everyone in this town appears to be possessed._

Sebastien smiled. His smile was doing strange things to me, even though it wasn't actually directed at me. Oh, wait, now it was. I quickly averted my eyes and pretended like I hadn't been staring at him. I was more than a little relieved when he didn't say anything to me.

"Have you forgotten?" He suddenly held up a picnic basket and a bunch of swimsuits. "We have come to a resort!"

"Oh, you're right!" Finny cheered. "We should have fun while we're here!"

"Are you coming, Thalia?" Mey-Rin jogged to my side. I groaned under my breath and got to my feet. Morgan hissed gently and scrambled to be around my neck.

"Yeah, sure, I'm coming," I got to my feet and bent slightly to dust grass and soil off my pants. Wow, I needed new clothes. I was wearing some of Finny's clothes, since I wasn't comfortable with dresses and he was the only one with clothes that could actually fit me. "Can we even swim at this time of the year?" I asked Sebastien curiously.

His eyes had been narrowed at me, but they went back to normal so quickly that I doubted if that expression had ever been there in the first place. "Why don't you find out, Thalia?"

It turned out that you _could_ swim in the lake at this time of the year. Who would have thought? The weather was always so cold and misty, but the lake was warm. _There must be hot spring somewhere,_ I thought as I let my feet splash in the water. Morgan curled up in my lap and I stroked her gently.

I watched the others splash in the water, and then turned to the changing room where Mey-Rin had yet to venture out of. "Oi, Mey-Rin, aren't you coming out?" I called.

She stuck out her head, and she was blushing. "I-I'm too embarrassed!"

"You don't get a chance like this often!" Bard called back. He shook his head like a dog and grinned at her. "It's fine, so hurry up!" She came out after a while, dressed in a white and pink swimsuit that did look very nice on her.

"Mey-Rin, that's a really cyte swimsuit," I told her.

"Wow, Mey-Rin, you look really cool!" Finny cheered.

"Really?" She blushed, but looked happy with the compliments she was getting.

"But I bet you'd look better if you took your glasses off!" Bard reached for her round glasses, and she panicked.

"No, I can't! Don't make me!" She ran away and began splashing water on them. I laughed, and the movement jostled Morgan who yowled at me in irritation and pranced off to find a more comfortable place to sleep. Namely, near our bags.

Sebastien turned to me. "Aren't you going to swim, Thalia?"

I turned to him and shrugged. "I don't really like swimming," I confessed. "Don't worry, I'm fine here," I got to my feet and kicked, and managed to splash an unsuspecting Finny. "Besides, I don't need to be in the water to cause damage!" I stuck out my tongue at the boy, who tried to splash me back. "HA! You missed me sucker!" I turned to Ciel. "What about you, Ciel?" I asked curiously. "Aren't you going to swim?"

He didn't seem like the _let's-have-random-fun_ type, so I wasn't too surprised or annoyed when he didn't answer me with more than a quiet grunt. Sebastien smiled. "Ah, I see. Of course, you are…"

"If you're still able to swim here in this season," Ciel cut the man off quickly. "Then it may have some merit as a resort."

Sebastien turned to him curiously. "Are you truly thinking of making this place a resort?" And that was when I excused myself from the conversation and proceeded to splash as many people as I possibly could without getting too soaked in the process. That didn't turn out too well for me though. Bard somehow managed to drag me into the lake when my guard was down and I got _beyond _soaked.

I crawled out of the water, dripping and sodden. "As soon as you get out of that lake, Bard, I am going to killyou!" I yelled at the blonde cook. He just laughed. Poor bastard, he didn't think I was being serious.

I flopped down on my back beside our things to dry off. When I checked to see what Ciel was doing, I realised that Sebastien had left. I felt a _bit _bad about starting the picnic without him, especially since he had cooked everything we were eating. I had discovered that Bard couldn't cook without blowing up everything in the immediate area.

The picnic basket was a masterpiece of baskets, and I'm just going by this because I've never actually really gone on a picnic. There were tiny cakes and sandwiches cut into triangles, and all manner of other snacks arranged in perfect sets. "Miss Angela, would you like some too?" Finny offered some to the white-haired maid. I wasn't too happy that she was here with us, but I didn't say anything. It wasn't like I really had that much of a right either. Besides, Finny in love was adorable and I wasn't about to spoil that.

"Is it alright for me to?" She looked hesitant. _No,_ I took a bite of one of the ham and cheese finger sandwiches.

"Of course!" Mey-Rin beamed and missed the quick glare that I shot her out of the corner of my eyes. "Sebastien's picnic boxes are really good!" _Yes, that's exactly why she can't have any!_

"They've caught the bad dog!" I looked up at the men running down the street carrying pitchforks. "It's James's dog! It's got to be punished! The punishment is going to begin now!"

We followed the men and rushed to where the supposed punishment was taking place, which was a curve in a hill shaped to form a sort of arena. The side was supported with thick, wooden poles to prevent rock or mudslides, or any other disasters of the sort.

There was a dog chained to the front of the crowd, and it was growling. In front of it were several other dogs that looked just as feral, maybe even more so. "The bad dog is chewing something! Make it spit it out!"

Someone approached the dog with a large stick and began to hit it. _No, don't hit it! Stop it! STOP IT!_ "What a bad dog," Barrymore shook his head with false regret. "It's a terrible dog. Begin!"

They released the other dogs, and those dogs attacked the chained one with savage hatred. There was something so sick about what was going on. It was there in the way the people were cheering, and the way so many dogs had been set loose on one defenceless one. For a second, I felt frozen with fear and shock.

And then I found my voice. "What are you doing?" I screamed. "Stop it! STOP IT!" My voice was drowned out in the demented cheering of the crowd, and for a minute, I thought I saw the faces of demons in all of them, and Barrymore was their king.

I tried to run forward, but Bard grabbed me and held me back. "LET GO!" I swung one leg high and kicked him in the face, and then I flipped myself out of his grip. Before I could run forward though, Finny suddenly ran past me and attacked the dogs with a club he had pulled out of the ground. In the crowd, an old woman – no – _the_ old woman, the one we had seen before on the street, screamed and fainted.

We ran to Finny's side. "Finny!"

I turned to face the crowd and snarled. "You sick, twisted, _evil_ people!"

"You got in the way of punishment!" The words ran through the crowd. "Of righteous punishment!" And then they began to chant. "_They're bad dogs. More bad dogs! They're bad dogs. Punishment for the bad dogs. Punishment for the bad dogs!_"

I groaned. "Not this shit again…" someone reached for me and I punched him in the neck, rendering him unconscious at my feet. "Uh, Finny, I think you made them mad…" I punched another one and readied myself for the inevitable onslaught.

"Thalia!" Ciel barked. "Stop."

I frowned and turned to him. "But-!"

"Don't worry," he smirked and watched the approaching townspeople out of his one eye. "I have a plan."

oOo

_Well this plan sucks,_ I growled to myself. Ciel was chained to the rock wall, while the servants were tied to a giant, wooden spike. As for me, I had my own chains. I was tied to another wooden spike in the ground.

Why?

Because I was special.

It was also because I knocked out several of the villagers before I allowed myself to be tied up. As I said before, _I'm special_.

_Where's Sebastien, anyway?_ I wondered._ Maybe he could get help. Wait, what am I thinking? Everyone here is insane and there's nothing around for miles but trees and grass!_

_We're fucked. _I am not the most optimistic person, alright? "You're getting what you deserve, Maltese," Barrymore glared at us. "You and that husky of yours."

"Master, I'm begging you," Angela pleaded. "Please forgive them!" _I still don't like you so much, but thanks for trying to save us anyway._

Barrymore smirked. "Fine. This Pomeranian is, even if it is only temporary, one of those serving her majesty." _He's been a Chihuahua, a Maltese, and now he's a Pomeranian? Could you please make up your damn mind?_ "Depending on what he has to say, I may decide to let him go," he turned to Ciel. "Tell her Majesty to withdraw and to never consider this village again."

Ciel smirked and closed his eyes. "You'd go that far to protect your little kingdom? It seems like the expression, 'furious charge' was invented for you."

"Ciel, you are _not_ helping the situation," I hissed and began to struggle. These chains were really very well done, and they were very well tied. I couldn't even find a padlock whose lock I could pick open with the pin I always kept in my pocket. Yeah, when you live on the streets, you learn to pick up these talents quickly. I had even grown the nails on the little finger of both of my fingers out for emergency scenarios.

_Come on, is there no padlock?_ I grumbled to myself as I felt around. My fingers brushed against something. _Oh, wait, is that…? I think I've found it…_ I twisted my hand as far as it could and began to pick the lock as fast as possible.

"Then," Barrymore said. "Know what happens to those who disobey me!" The dogs leaped for Ciel, teeth bared. I closed my eyes, unable to bear watching. Suddenly, I heard something like a thud. Something had struck one of the dogs. My eyes flew open in shock.

Sebastien was standing in front of Ciel, knocking the rest away like they were nothing. I exhaled a sigh of relief. "Oh, hey Sebastien," I said sarcastically. "It's nice to see you again."

Ciel glowered at the man like he wasn't chained to a wall about to be attacked and devoured by several wild dogs, and instead Sebastien had brought tea in five minutes late. "You're late."

"Please forgive me, my lord," Sebastien smiled, straightening his gloves.

"Got it!" The chains came loose and I ran to Ciel's side. "Ciel, Sebastien, are you alright?"

Ciel scoffed, but nodded at me. "I'm fine, Thalia."

I turned back to Barrymore, who was glaring at us with more dogs at the ready. "Are you trying to get in the way, you Garm?" He directed this question at Sebastien. _I don't even know what breed that is…_ "What are you doing? Go and bite all of them to death!"

The dogs growled loudly as I walked over to stand beside Sebastien. "What a loud, barbaric sound they make," he sounded irritated but resigned. Then he glared at the dogs. "This is why I hate dogs."

I looked up at him in surprise, and then gasped. His eyes were glowing red, and the pupils had narrowed into vertical slits. It was a sight that terrified me, and yet, intrigued me. The dogs immediately cowered, whimpering, and I was reminded of how he had saved me before.

A ripple of shock passed through the crowd at the dogs' strange behaviour. "Wh-what?"

"The farce ends here, Barrymore," Ciel smirked. I walked back to him and picked the locks on his wrists and his neck with a pin. He lowered his hands and gave me a grateful look, before turning back to the villagers. "Listen, you village mongrels!" He yelled. "There is no such thing as the Devil Dog! The only thing here is an old man bitten by delusions of grandeur and authority."

"Wh-what proof do you have?" Barrymore challenged us, but I could tell that he was nervous.

"This." Sebastien held up a dog skull. "The shape of the teeth marks are the same as the ones on James." Another ripple of shock went through the crowd. _I feel like I'm in a crime thriller!_ "Everyone, please bear witness…" The crowd looked up and there was a collective gasp as they beheld the dark shape of a dog's head projected on the clouds. "…this is the real truth behind the Devil Dog."

"So the shadow was just a projection!" I walked over to the small projector and crouched down beside it.

Sebastien nodded at me, and I was reminded again of his eyes. They were back to normal now, but I could still remember how they had looked before. "It was nothing more than simple child's play. The shining thing in the night was pure phosphorous." _Ha, I knew it!_ I cheered and mentally patted myself on the back. "He just poured the powder on an ordinary dog and let it go."

"The Devil Dog was an illusion choreographed by one person," Ciel said. "And that person was you, Henry Barrymore!"

"Wh-where's the proof that I did any of these things," he was still trying to wriggle out of it. It was kind of sad to watch, really. I watched Sebastien walk over to the bruised and beaten body of the dog, and return with a scrap of torn, brown fabric in his hands.

"It is high quality fabric," he commented, turning to face the crowd again. "Why do you suppose the dog refused to let go of it until the end? The reason is that it belongs to James's murderer. While trying to protect its master, it bit your leg and tore part of your trousers off."

He was trapped, and he knew it, and when he turned to run the villagers blocked his escape. "So you're the one who killed James!" "There was no Devil Dog?" "You fooled us all!"

_You all let yourselves be fooled,_ I watched as they hoisted the man above their heads and carried him away, their angry yells drowning out his pleas. Once they were gone, Ciel cleared his throat. "Thalia, do you mind?"

"Huh?" I turned. He gestured to the chains around his feet and I grinned. "Oh, yeah, right." Those came off quickly. The locks weren't that difficult to pick. Soon, everyone was free. "So…" I dragged out the vowel in the word. "This has been a fun few days," I smiled at them, and then I noticed Finny kneeling by the body of the dog.

He was clutching the dog to his chest and shaking. I went to kneel beside him and urged him to release it, and lean on me instead. He was crying, muttering quietly. "He tried so hard, so hard!"

I ran my fingers through his hair, feeling tears prick at my eyes as well. "I know, Finny. I know."

oOo

Once again, I was awoken in the middle of the night by Mey-Rin. Well, at least she didn't try to jump into my bed this time. No, instead I just heard her scream cut through my sleep and through dreams of cake and chocolate. Yes, I loved cake and chocolate but, due to my intense state of poverty, that shit was beyond rare for me.

A girl could dream though…

"Mey-rin!" I scrambled out of bed and sprinted in the direction of the voice, almost barrelling into Finny and Bard. We ran downstairs to the castle dungeon where the villagers had imprisoned Barrymore. "Mey-rin, what's wrong?"

She was sitting on the ground in front of the cell. I knelt down beside her and reached for her hand. She lifted a trembling finger and pointed. I turned and gasped.

_Blood…_ there was a blood splashed all over the ground inside the prison cell. The cell Barrymore had been placed in.

"You guys, stay here, I'll go call Ciel!" I left the three of them in the dungeons and ran back up the stairs. "CIEL, SEBASTIEN!" I shoved the door of Ciel's room open.

"Thalia!" He glared at me, but that seemed to be his default expression really. I'd like to think he was actually a bit worried about me. Sebastien looked up at me and arched an eyebrow in question. "What's going on?" Ciel asked.

"Barrymore's dead," I told him. "There's blood all of the cell floor, and his body is missing as well!"

Ciel gritted his teeth with anger. "Let's go, Sebastien!"

"Yes, sir," said butler passed by me, and I caught his eyes. I was reminded again of how they had looked when they glowed reddish-pink. I looked away quickly and ran past him. If he noticed the way I was staring at him, he gave no inkling of it, which I was grateful for. Still, I was sure he would ask me about it soon.

We reached the dungeon, with Angela behind us. She gasped at the blood staining the stone floor of the dungeon. "Master Barrymore!"

Suddenly, there was the sound of someone pounding on the door of the castle. It was raining, and I was confused as to what madman was out in such weather. The door was flung open, and a man stumbled in, breathing hard. "Lord…Lord…Devil Dog…"

_I thought we dealt with this shit already! _I groaned to myself. From outside came a sound like many dogs howling at the sky. I shivered, and not just from the cold.

The man led us to where the rest of the villagers were, and there we found the body. It was in the arena, leaning against the walls. Barrymore's body was more or less intact, apart from the right arm, which had been torn off at the elbow. His eyes had rolled up into his head. In the end, his final expression had been one of acute horror.

"Forgive us, Lord Devil Dog!" The villagers were kneeling in front of the body, apparently praying. "_The small, white-haired dog is a good dog…_" they started up that familiar, creepy chant that I had not gotten used to but knew by heart now. "_…the black dog is a bad, disobedient dog. As the cat meows, the day falls. As the cat cries, say goodnight…_"

_If you don't sleep, the dog will descend,_ I wrapped my arms around myself to keep myself from shaking too much. _It'll eat you down to the bone…_

The chant, the way they were moaning, the looks on their faces, it reminded me of _them_. I wrapped my arms around myself. "Thalia…you are shaking." I jerked when I felt something warm land on my shoulders and come around my body. Sebastien had wrapped a blanket around me. Since when had he been carrying that around? I hugged the fabric to myself and tried to stop shivering so much. "There," his lips were by my ear. "Does that feel better?"

"Um…yes, thank you…" I wrapped the fabric tighter around my body and stepped closer to Ciel, who was the safer person between the two of them. Said munchkin looked from me, to Sebastien, and then back again. Then he looked back at Sebastien and there was an unspoken command in his eyes.

I watched Sebastien walk forward to examine the man's body. Behind us, Angela gasped, again. She did that a lot, I noticed. Suddenly, her eyes fluttered and she swooned and fainted. I suppose I could have caught her, or at least alerted everyone to the fact that she was about to faint…but _meh_. I still didn't like her.

Wow, I am mean. Ah well…

Finny noticed, too late, and ran to her side. "Miss Angela!"

"She's fainted!" Mey-rin looked distressed.

"Oh no…" I said quietly in a falsely sympathetic voice. Beside me, Ciel snickered, and then seemed to remember that he shouldn't be laughing at a lady's distress and schooled his features. Still, I smiled at the fact that I had managed to get a smile out of the stoic child. I noticed Sebastien returning, and schooled my features as well. "So, what did you find?"

He looked at me with a smirk, and then his gaze turned to Ciel. "It seems that the arm was bitten off, rather than cut. The edges are too rough, and the skin isn't stretched enough for it to have been torn. The only likely explanation was that it was bitten off cleanly by something with a big enough mouth."

Ciel arched an eyebrow. "You mean the Devil Dog, don't you?" Sebastien shrugged. We trudged back to the castle, leaving the villagers to their chanting and prayers. When I turned to go with Mey-Rin and the others, Ciel grabbed my wrist. "Come with me," he ordered.

"Um…okay?" I followed the young Earl to his room, with Sebastien behind us. The man quickly set the fire going, and I wasted no time in throwing off the wet blanket and sitting as close to the flames as I could without being burned. "Warmth~," I smiled happily.

"_The case is at an end_," Sebastien said. "Having declared such a thing, this is rather unfortunate, is it not young master?"

He was obviously poking fun at Ciel, who obviously didn't appreciate it. "Shut up," the younger male scowled.

I giggled and twisted around on the floor to face them, keeping my back to the fire. "Don't rub salt in the wound, Sebastien," I scolded lightly. "We should be thinking of what to do right now, right Ciel?" I smiled at the boy. His expression was still stoic, but it softened slightly when he looked at me.

"Yes. What did you do with Miss Angela?" He asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Mey-Rin and Finny said that they would put her to bed since she's out cold," I got to my feet and stretched. "Mey-Rin thinks that the reason Barrymore was killed was because the Devil Dog was angry that someone was doing all those selfish, bad deeds in its name. That makes sense, doesn't it?" I looked at Sebastien to back me up on this theory. "I mean, if I were the Devil Dog, I would be pretty pissed too."

He smirked at me. "True. One thing is certain though, this was not the work of humans."

_So there are things on this earth that aren't human,_ I stared at Sebastien. _He has red eyes like blood, and they glow and look so strange…what is he? Vampire? Shapeshifter? Scorpio?_ He caught me staring at him, and arched an eyebrow, and then he smiled. His eyes flashed briefly, as though he was testing something.

My eyes widened and a single word came to me. _Demon…_

"I think it is time for Miss Thalia to return to her room," he walked over to me. "Shall I escort you, my lady?"

Ciel's eyes narrowed warningly. "Fine. But, Sebastien, my order still stands."

I barely heard him, I was suddenly entranced by a pair of blood-red eyes and a smirk that was full of many things. I barely heard his response, and only saw the way his mouth curved around the words. "_Yes, my lord_."

He led me back to my room in silence, but once we were inside, he turned to me. "You have been staring at me quite often, Thalia," he walked over to me and I did my best to not show how nervous I was. He stopped and leaned over until his nose was not an inch from mine. "Care to tell me why?"

I blinked and broke the eye contact we had. "Your eyes…" I replied shyly, nervously. _Wait, _shyly_? _I shook my head lightly and scowled at myself. _The fuck bitch? We have gone through too much to start acting shy around men!_

_Although…this person isn't _quite_ a man…_

"My eyes?" He sounded amused. Fingers went under my chin, and he tipped my head up so that I was facing him. "What about them, Thalia?"

I was forced to look into his eyes again, and they were glowing red and pink. In spite of their obvious supernatural appearance, they were beautiful, hypnotising. "They're glowing," I murmured. "What are you?" I asked him curiously. "I already know you're not human, and I have an idea, but I want to be certain…just what are you anyway?"

He chuckled. "You're rather curious, aren't you?" He asked. _I have all reason to be,_ I thought to myself. The fingers he had at my chin moved to my cheek. "What do you think I am?"

My eyes narrowed as I stared into his eyes contemplatively. "I'm guessing you're…a demon. Am I right?"

His eyebrows went up, and he grinned a sharp grin. "The young master was right, you are rather…perceptive." The way he said it, I didn't feel the same thrum of pride that I had when Ciel had. "Now…" Sebastian leaned closer to me and brought his lips to my ear. I shivered slightly at the feel of his warm breath washing over the skin of my neck. "…aren't you afraid, Thalia?"

I let my eyes fall shut for a minute, and then I opened them again with a smile. I reached up and pushed Sebastian away from me. "Oddly…no," I shook my head and looked up at him. His brows rose faintly. "I'm just curious. If you had wanted to kill me, you would have done it before. You've had ample time to do so anyway."

"Ah," he smirked and caressed my face gently with one gloved hand. "But what if I'm just waiting until you're alone…" his fingers trailed to my throat. "…and no one can hear your screams?"

I smirked back, and my reaction seemed to take him by surprise. "We're alone now. Why aren't you attacking me?" I smiled up at him. "I don't think you will kill me, Sebastien. If you want to, then I would be dead by now, but I'm not. Either you _don't _want to kill me, or something is preventing you from doing that."

He looked amused by my reasoning, and chuckled. "Interesting." With that, he released me and made his way to the door of my room. I scrambled under the bed, jostling Morgan in the process, who gave me a sleepy cat-glare before crawling over to my stomach and flopping there.

"Hey." He turned back to me. I smiled. "Goodnight, Sebastien!"

He could have smiled back, or it could have just been the shadows. "Goodnight, Thalia."

**Sebastien's POV**

She was becoming more tempting with every moment. Something about her made me want her, badly. I wanted to…not eat her soul, no. I knew that hunger well, and this wasn't it. Was it lust? Maybe. Still…I didn't just want to have sex with her either. The feeling wasn't exactly _lust_, but something else. Something I hadn't felt in the years of my existence.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and kept walking down the corridor. I had to get a grip on myself, before I got too carried away.


	5. Pluto

**I GOT SOME SUPER NICE REVIEWS FROM YOU GUYS SO THANKS! Man, I love this site. I'd also like to thank Animefreak1145 for her review. It made my day!**

**I don't own Black Butler, because then I would have Sebastian and I wouldn't have to display my great love for him via an OC.**

**Thalia: What?**

**Me: NOTHING! READ! **

**Pluto**

**Thalia's POV**

The next morning, I trailed into the kitchen with everyone else. "Good morning," I muttered around a yawn. Although I was already more or less wide awake, I still wasn't that much of a morning person. I glanced over at Finny, who looked as terrible as I felt. "Hey, Finny, what's wrong? You look terrible."

"Huh? No, I'm fine," he mumbled, refusing to meet my eyes. I arched an eyebrow, but left it at that.

At that moment, Angela walked in bearing a tray with mugs and a jug. "Good morning everyone." _Oh lord, she's a morning person. Look at her, looking so chipper even after she fainted last night._ I noticed the way Finny stiffened at her entrance and avoided her gaze. I wondered what was wrong with him. Yesterday he would have been so excited about seeing her, and now he looked as though he couldn't even bear being in the same room with her.

Bard smiled at her kindly. "Is it alright for you to be up like that after last night?" I glared at him between a bite of bread. _Hey, why are you nice to her when all you do to me is tease me and push into lakes?_

She smiled back. "Yes. I'm sorry to have troubled you so," she put down the tray and frowned at herself. "Acting like that, even after my master taught me that I must never, ever forget my manners around guests…"

I hummed under my breath and grabbed the jug and a cup. It was orange juice, apparently freshly squeezed. As I sipped it, I considered my reservations about Angela. Was it fair of me to not like her? Something about her may have rubbed me the wrong way, but she hadn't necessarily done anything to us. She had even tried to help us.

Maybe it was because she seemed so soft-spoken and weak-minded, deferring to her master even after all he had done to her and the town. I sighed into my cup and focused on the rest of the conversation. Angela was asking Finny if he was alright.

Said boy panicked and scrambled away. "Um, I'm not feeling all that well, so you probably shouldn't touch me or my germs could spread!" All this was said in a panicked rush, and then he sprinted from the kitchen with his head down. "I'M SORRY!" We watched him bolt.

Bard blinked. "It doesn't seem like he's feeling unwell at all."

I nodded. "Anyone who can run like that can't be all that sick."

Mey-Rin got to her feet. "I'm going to go get him," she told us. "Thalia, do you want to come with me?"

I nodded quickly and downed the rest of my juice. "Yeah, I'm coming!" I got to my feet and followed her out of the house. I whistled lowly at the fallen trees. "What the hell happened?" I asked as when I caught up with Mey-Rin. "This place wasn't like this yesterday. I wonder what ran through this place to cause such destruction."

"Maybe it was the Devil Dog!" She commented, and we snickered.

It didn't take long to find Finny. He was sitting on one of the fallen trees, his knees to his chin. He looked really upset. "Finny!" Mey-Rin called as we ran up to him. "Finny, are you okay?" Like before, he refused to tell us anything beyond a muttered 'I'm fine'. Mey-Rin and I glanced at each other, but I shrugged. If he didn't want to tell us, there was nothing we could really do.

We made our way back to the house. I grabbed Morgan, who was balancing on Tanaka's head and apparently using him as a mode of transportation. "Ho-ho-ho…" _If you ask me, this guy has been possessed by the spirit of Santa Claus._ I giggled and decided to go find Ciel and Sebastien. Maybe if I begged hard enough, Sebastien would feed me!

Odd how after discovering he was a demon (who had molested me, we can't forget that), all I could think about was what a good cook he was. My priorities were _way_ off kilter that morning. Maybe it was because I was hungry. _Yeah, that's probably it._

I found them in the dining room, where Ciel was about t sit down to some pudding. "Today's snack is Cabinet Pudding," Sebastien was saying when I came in. "Prepared with blackberries from the surrounding regions." His gaze slid to me when I came in, but I pretended not to notice. Out of consideration for Ciel, I had left Morgan outside.

"Hi Ciel, Sebastien," I hugged Ciel from the side because I knew it annoyed him and got him very flustered when I gave him a full-frontal-body hug. It was so cute! "How's my cute little earl doing this morning?"

"Gack, Thalia! Get off me!" He flapped his arms uselessly. I giggled and pulled away, but not without landing a kiss on his cheek because he was too adorable to not do otherwise. I was beginning to think of him as the little brother I had never had. If that's weird, he hasn't exactly done much to dissuade me from thinking like that. Something told me that if he _really _didn't like me, he wouldn't bother hiding it. His face twisted into a grimace and I spied a telltale blush on his face. "You need to stop doing that."

"But you're too cute to ignore!" I laughed at the appalled and disgusted look on his face. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" I took a step away from him and went to go and stand beside Bard. "I'm still going to kill you," I muttered to him out of the side of my mouth.

"Ha, I'd like to see you try, little girl," he muttered back. I lifted my fist and punched him in the shoulder, hard. "Ow!"

Ciel rolled his eyes at us, and glanced at Sebastien. "You're quite laidback, aren't you?" He asked, apparently continuing the discussion he'd been having before I had come in.

"There is no need to get flustered," Sebastien said. He did seem very calm. His eyes glimmered with amusement over my sudden display of affection for Ciel, and Ciel's reaction. "Thalia, have you eaten yet?"

I smirked thoughtfully. "Funny you should ask that…"

Just then, the door flew open and Mey-Rin and Finny came flying in. "Sebastien!"

He glared at them. "What's is wrong? You're making a ruckus."

"Miss Angela is nowhere to be found!" Finny looked genuinely worried. "We've looked high and low for her, but we can't find her anywhere!"

"Oh," Bard stopped rubbing his shoulder and glaring at me. "She said that there were some herbs that grow near the swamp and that she would go pick them."

"On her own?" Finny stared at the cook. "To the swamp?"

"Really?" Mey-Rin looked worried. "At a time when the Devil Dog may be running loose?" One look at Bard, and I could tell that he had completely forgotten about that problem.

"Why would she choose _now_ of all times to go picking herbs anyway?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest. "This isn't really the time for that!"

Bard looked over at me, and then at Finny. "It seems she was worried about how pale Finny looked, so she said she'd go pick some herbs to help him." _However noble her motives may have been,_ I thought to myself. _That was still a really reckless choice._ Finny suddenly turned and raced out of the room without us. "Oi, Finny!" Bard yelled. "We're going too!"

"Oh," Sebastien didn't look very bothered. Bard turned his head and glared at him over his shoulder.

"What, don't you have any red hot blood pumping through your veins?" He asked. "Let's go, Mey-Rin, Thalia!"

"Yes, sir!"

"But, I'm hungry!"

I was ignored. "What about Old Tanaka?" Bard asked. I snickered under my breath. Said man was already packed and ready, with a gun over his shoulder. _I wonder where all of that came from. _"He's got the spirit! Alright, let's go you rabble!" And with that, all three of them sprinted out of the house. I stared after them. There had been lot sprinting out of rooms lately.

Ciel finished the rest of his food calmly, while I snacked on the blackberries from the pudding because (apparently) he didn't like them. It was either that, or he was just trying to feed me. I was happy either way. Something Bard had said sparked my curiousity. "I'm curious now…" I grinned suddenly, glancing at Ciel out of the corner of my eye.

He caught my gaze, and my train of thought. He smirked and glanced at Sebastien. "So am I. So…what colour _is_ your blood?" Sebastien glared at the two of us while Ciel continued talking calmly. "It really seems like something to get flustered about."

"I vote purple," I raised my hand immediately. Then I gasped. "No, wait, what if it _isn't _blood? What if he just bleeds black smoke and sparkles?" Ciel's eyes widened and he choked on his tea slightly. Sebastien turned his glare on me, and then he just sighed. I smiled and popped the last blackberry into my mouth. "Well, I'd love to stay and debate demonic blood colour choices, but I'm going to see if I can catch up with everyone else before they get too far away."

Luckily for me, they hadn't gone too far. Even though it was incredibly misty, I was still able to find them by following the sound of their voices as they called for her. "Miss Angela!"

"Where did she go?" Finny looked really distressed. I patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll find her," I reassured him. And then Mey-Rin screamed. "Mey-Rin!" We ran to where she was standing, and then I gaped. In front of us was, what I could only describe as, a garden of body parts. I could see legs and arms half buried in the ground. They all looked old and grey and wrinkled, with hands and arms that looked like the dead were trying to push themselves out of the grave.

They were all wrinkled, as I said, except one which looked fresh. A familiar, silver ring glinted on the middle finger, and I gripped my own ring reflexively. "Hey, isn't that ring…" Finny began.

He didn't finish that thought. A low howling sound filled the air, like a large dog. We quickly fived behind a huge rock and peered out. A figure was making its way through the fog. The closer it got, the more I was able to see and I was more than a little surprised to see that it was actually a man.

He had long, shaggy white hair, and red eyes. He was also very naked, which made me avert my eyes and look elsewhere because that was just awkward. "Who is that?" Mey-Rin wondered. I glared down at her. Of course she was still looking, she was a closet pervert after all. I wondered why her nose wasn't gushing blood all over the place yet.

"It really wasn't the Devil Dog that did Lord Henry in," Bard said. "It was a human after all!"

"I-It's a full frontal scene!" Mey-Rin mumbled, a drop of blood trickling out of her nose. I smirked and rolled my eyes. I kept quiet though, and just listened to the others.

"Did he have a grudge against Lord Henry or something?" Bard wondered.

"Maybe Angela asked him to do it!" Mey-Rin speculated.

"Miss Angela has nothing to do with this!" Finny yelled. My eyes widened at the loud voice he used. "We shouldn't doubt her!"

"_Would you keep quiet?!_" I hissed and dragged him back behind the boulder. Or, I tried to. It was already too late. Whoever this guy was, he had already heard us and turned around. For a few seconds, no one moved. He just stared at Finny, and Finny at him.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and I spotted the all villagers dressed in their swimsuits. I blinked and narrowed my eyes. _Okay…this is not the strangest thing I've seen so far._ "Okay, I'll bite, what's going on?" I asked.

"We were going to perform ablutions in order to quell the Devil Dog's anger!" They said. "Last night, the Devil Dog's angered voice rang out loudly. The howling lasted all night!"

I shrugged. "I didn't hear anything." But then I'm a heavy sleeper. I could sleep through most things including, apparently, the otherworldly sound of howling Devil Dogs. I turned, and realized that Finny had already run after the man. "Hey, Finny!"

We ended up in front of the ruins of an old building. The mist seemed thicker here, and the sound of the dog howling filled the air. "This noise…" Finny said.

In front of us, the silhouette of something large began to form. Something big, with gleaming red eyes and four legs. My eyes widened and I took a step back. "The Devil Dog…" The monster opened its mouth, and flames licked at the inside and around its teeth. It glared at us, and roared (I didn't know dogs could roar).

Then it charged us.

Instead of running away, Finny charged back. "Finny!" _What is that idiot doing!?_

He tackled the dog around its front leg and held on. I don't know what he planned to accomplish. Maybe he thought he could slow it down. It didn't work, although the dog stopped and began to wave him around in an effort to dislodge him. "Finny!" I screamed, and then I was suddenly hit by a shower of confetti and ribbons.

I turned and stared at Bard – who was holding Tanaka's gun – with a hysterically confused face like, _dude what are you doing? Finny's about to die and you're blowing birthday poppers?!_ Apparently he was as confused as I was.

The dog managed to throw Finny off. To my horror, it stood on its hind legs and lifted a paw as it prepared to crush Finny. The feeling of uselessness hit me hard, and I could only scream. "_Finny!_" I closed my eyes.

After a moment, I realized that I hadn't heard the sound that normally accompanies the event of a person being crushed under several tonnes of canine muscle. I opened my eyes and gasped with relief and shock.

Sebastien was standing above Finny, one hand behind his back and the other holding the giant paw at bay. He looked quite relaxed, even when faced with the growling animal and it's weight. "My, my," he smiled. "You're certainly very good at the 'shake hands' command, aren't you?"

"Sebastien!" I could hug him! But, you know, not right then. I ran forward and dragged Finny out of the way. Sebastien's eyes slid to me, and then back to the task at hand.

"However," he continued. "As expected…" he suddenly flipped the dog away like it weighed nothing. "…it is a bit heavy!" The Devil Dog landed a few metres away with a loud crash.

"Oi, this isn't the time to be playing around," Ciel appeared. _When did the two of them get here?_ "Hurry up."

"Of course, young master," Sebastien smirked. "I intend to clean all this up in just a moment." The dust that had been thrown up by the impact began to clear and the Devil Dog got to its feet. Instead of charging, however, it began to sniff the air. Sebastien smirked even more. "It is a scent you cannot resist, is it not?" He suddenly pulled out a box of dog kibble from behind his back.

I stared at it blankly. "You're kidding me."

He ignored me. "Puppy's favourite, they'll want to eat it every day! It's Innuko!" _Why did that sound like an advertisement jingle?_

"Innuko?" Fortunately, I wasn't the only one who was confused. Apparently, he _wasn't _kidding. As I stared, the dog's mouth began to water and it began to run towards Sebastien with a happy howl. I sweatdropped. _Who knew supernatural, otherworldly dogs weren't immune to dog kibble?_

"The best way to train a dog," Sebastien said. "Is by bending its will and then strengthening its loyalty. In other words," his looked up at the dog. "The carrot and stick!" He suddenly spread his arms. "First, the carrot!"

What followed after that was a little bit odd. First, he jumped on the Devil Dog's snout and bit its nose. _Okay…_ Ciel and I shared stunned, bemused looks, and then turned back to the spectacle at hand.

"Followed by," he jumped off the dog. "The stick!" He suddenly kicked it in the face. _No! Puppy!_ _Wait, it tried to kill Finny. Wow my priorities are really off kilter._ It got pretty repetitive after that. "Carrot…stick…carrot…stick…stick!" _Hey, that was two sticks in a row!_ He spun the dog around by its tail and sent it spiralling into a bunch of rocks.

Ciel watched with impassive eyes. "This is a bigger show than I could have imagined," he muttered. I hummed my agreement.

"And finally, a big embrace!" Sebastien mega-glomped the stunned and dizzy dog, and then leaped several feet in the air. When the dog finally came down, it left a large, deep crater in the ground.

We crowded the edge of the hole. "He's not coming out!" Mey-Rin looked worried. _Nah, he's a demon. He's fine._ Ciel walked to the edge of the hole and glared down into it.

"Well, what are you idling around for?" He snapped. "Come back here this instant."

A second passed, and then a faint. "Understood!" The ground began to shake and I, wisely, took more than a few steps back so I was out of the way when a huge geyser of hot water shot out of the mouth of the hole. _So my theory about a hot spring was right_, I thought as I stared up at the fountain of water.

"That's right, where's Sebastien?" Finny asked. I pointed upwards mutely.

"One thing is essential for a resort," Sebastien spoke. "A centrepiece that will attract attention. Bathing luxuriously in excessive amounts of hot water and draining away the fatigue of the day. That is what this is," the water parted to reveal Sebastien standing at the top of the geyser with the man we had seen before in his arms. "The spa!"

I stared up at him blankly. "There he goes," I muttered. "Sebastian Michaelis, defying the laws of gravity and physics one step at a time."

He jumped down, and landed on the ground gracefully. "If one who served the Phantomhive family could not strike a hot spring or two, then where would we be?" _I have no idea_, I thought_._ And then I snickered when the dog, in human form, suddenly began to lick Sebastien's face. The look of disgust on his face only served to heighten my amusement.

Mey-Rin turned away, blood gushing from her nose. "Once again, it's too shocking!"

Suddenly, Angela appeared. I had forgotten about her in the last half hour or so. I think we all had. "Pluto!" The dog suddenly bounded out of Sebastien's arms and into hers. It would have been an awkward scene but…ugh, what am I saying? It _was_ an awkward scene.

Angela explained to us that she had found Pluto a few months ago. "I love dogs," she stroked Pluto's head, which was resting on her lap. The dog-person was dozing quietly. "He was so cute that I ended up trying to tame him."

"Cute?" Finny and Mey-Rin glanced at each other. All they saw was a naked man.

"He has a bad habit of turning into a human when he gets excited though," she sighed.

Bard flipped. "Don't try to play this off by calling it a 'habit'!" I patted Bard on the shoulder and got him to sit down again.

"So you kept him without telling anyone," Sebastien concluded.

She nodded. "Yes. Lord Barrymore used the legend of the Devil Dog to control the town, but in reality he was more terrified of it than anyone else. When I thought about what would happen if Pluto found out…I suppose I was too naïve. I didn't think for one moment that he would do that to Lord Barrymore."

I regarded her then. I still didn't quite feel like I liked her, but my heart softened a bit. Anyone willing to take in an animal couldn't be _all_ bad. Pluto whined in his sleep and cuddled closer to her. _Aw, he's so cute!_ He obviously loved her a lot.

She looked up at Ciel imploringly. "I beg you, is there no way he could be taken to your mansion?" Sebastien blinked, and his expression was one of acute shock and (slight) horror. "If he's under Sebastien's tutelage, I'm sure he will become an excellently obedient dog!"

"Well," my gaze slid to Sebastien teasingly. "He is _one hell of a butler_."

He glared at me. "Yes, but not one hell of a dog trainer…"

"That sounds fine," Ciel said. Sebastien turned his glare on the younger male, who looked highly amused at the prospect.

"Are you sure, young master?" _He so wants to kill Ciel now, _I giggled to myself.

"Yes," Ciel smirked. "It certainly sounds fun in many ways." _Fun for who, exactly?_ The glaring contest lasted a few more seconds, before Sebastien sighed and gave in. The ground began to shake, and the town's people were suddenly crowding us on their knees and thanking us. Things were said, but I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking that now I would have to leave and go back alone.

Without Ciel and the others, there was nothing keeping me in this creepy town. "Well, whatever," Ciel sighed. "Our goal here was accomplished."

Sebastien smirked at him. "Is this really the time to be saying such a line when you were proved wrong before?"

A vein twitched in Ciel's forehead. "Fine, you say it." And he did, with much fanfare and authority. I smiled slightly. _Yeah, I'm really going to miss these people._

oOo

Ciel decided to leave a week later. The preparations for the resort were coming along nicely, and the town had undergone a complete transformations. I considered giving Finny back his clothes, but then I realized that all my old clothes had been thrown out, courtesy of Sebastian.

I sighed and wondered what I was going to do after this. Those men had probably stopped looking for me by now, so I would be safe for the time being. I tied my hair up and pushed it under my pageboy hat. The image in the mirror struck me as familiar and yet not. I had new bruises, and there was a scar just under my eye. The nail of my left pinkie finger was broken

I made my way outside where Mey-Rin, Finny and Bard placing the luggage into carriage. "Well, I suppose I won't be seeing you guys again," I forced a chipper tone into my voice so I didn't sound so sad. "I had fun. So thank you."

Finny looked confused. "You're not coming with us?"

I shrugged. "Hey, I don't know. That's not for me to decide. It was nice of all of you sort of take me in and treat me well, and I'll never forget that. Tell Ciel I said that."

"Tell Ciel you said what?" I jumped and turned. Ciel and Sebastien were standing behind me. Ciel arched an eyebrow at me. "Thalia, what are you doing? Get into the carriage."

I stared at him blankly, and then I glomped him. I really couldn't help it. "OHMIGOSH, THANK YOU!" I hugged him tightly. "You won't regret this Ciel," I told him, pulling back so I could look him square in the face with my hands on his shoulders. "I promise to protect you with everything I have! I'll take care of you like a big sister!"

His face was slightly red, but he managed to scowl at me sufficiently. "Carriage. Now."

"Yes, young master!" I hopped into the carriage. A few minutes later, Angela came outside with Pluto. She attached a collar to his neck and kissed his cheek.

"Don't forget about me, okay Pluto?"

Bard flipped, again. "Pluto! In the meantime, put some clothes on when you're in public! Plu, you're jiggling all over the place!" I handed Mey-Rin a tissue for her bloody nose and patted her on the back. Pluto jumped into the carriage and settled himself beside me. To my surprise, he sniffed me, beamed, and proceeded to nuzzle his face into my neck.

I froze. "Uh, guys? What is he doing? Guys? Seriously, help, I think he's sniffing me. Someone, please, anyone? I don't know what's going on." Sebastien walked past and glared at the dog. His eyes glowed, and Pluto pulled away, whimpering sadly. I smiled a bit and patted him on the head so he wouldn't think it was because I didn't like him. His eyes lit up again and I laughed.

I caught Angela's eyes when I did, and I was surprised at the sudden flicker of anger there. It quickly disappeared when Sebastien looked at her. "We should start making some headway now."

She smiled at him. "I will definitely come and visit Pluto sometime!"

"If possible, I would like to ask you to refrain from doing so," Sebastien said. She blinked and frowned. I stopped scratching Pluto behind the ears long enough to listen. "Taming a Devil Dog is not an easy task," he was smiling a smile that didn't look all that friendly. "You seem to possess a talent for bending the will of lesser creatures."

_Ooh, is that why I've been so suspicious of her?_ The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, before Ciel ordered for him to get going. He bowed slightly and jumped into the carriage. A few seconds later, we were off and I was looking forward to my new life in the Phantomhive household.


	6. Photographs

**I've been down sick with a cold, which I got from my little brother, which he got from someone else. I don't know, colds are annoying. And strange. It's a different cold virus, but the same symptoms and shit. I don't get it.**

**Anyway, enjoy the new chapter. Anyone who has any ideas about my writing style and/or arc prompts (because I really want one but my imagination is failing me at the moment) should please either review or PM me.**

**That would be nice. Now, I am going to moan about how terrible I feel while browsing tumblr. I own nothing, except Thalia.**

**Photographs**

It had been nearly a week since Ciel had somewhat-but-not-quite adopted me. He had decided to make me a maid to help Mey-Rin, who was just a _tad_ bit useless at her job. I had suggested to her that maybe she would work better if she got some new glasses, but then she flipped and began yelling that these were glasses that the _young master_ had gotten for her and she wouldn't part with them for anything.

Which, you know, was sort of sweet, but still a really stupid reason for walking around half-blind.

The only downside to living there was that now, I had to wear a skirt. Yeah, you heard me, a _skirt_. I can't remember the last time I had to do that! Because Mey-Rin and I weren't the same size, we had to get a new set of uniforms for me to wear. That meant that, for the first week or so while I was there, I walked around in Finny's clothes like I had before.

Getting me into the skirt was a very painful and scarring experience for me. Mey-Rin had tried to do it, and I had accidentally-on-purpose knocked her unconscious. So Ciel had brought in Sebastian.

Hence, my current situation. "NO, STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU EVIL SOUL-SUCKING PERSON! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME DO THIS!" I screamed as I ran down the hallways with Sebastian right behind me. "CAN'T I JUST STAY IN PANTS? YOU CAN MAKE ME A GARDENER! I'LL HELP FINNY!" Years of living on the streets had made me a fast runner, but I could tell it was only a matter of time before he caught me. He was a demon after all.

Suddenly, I crashed into someone and fell backwards onto the floor. "Ow…"

"Now, now, Thalia…" My eyes widened as I found myself staring at a familiar pair of black-clad legs. I turned my gaze upwards and gulped when I met a pair of gleaming, dark red eyes. "…be a good girl and come here," he stretched out one hand to me and I freaked because _how the hell did he get in front of me!?_ I rolled under his legs and continued running like a maniac while screaming the word, "SHIT!" over and over to adequately express the extent of my panic at my predicament.

Someone grabbed me by my collar and lifted me into the air. I swung slightly, due to my previous momentum, and then sighed and hung limp when my eyes met a pair of highly amused red ones. "Are you going to kill me now?"

His eyes glinted and his smirk widened slightly. "Not unless you want me to."

"Nah," I shook my head and sighed deeply with resignation. "I'm good." He flipped me slightly so he could hold me bridal style, and began to walk back to the changing room I had bolted from while I complained to him about the horror of skirts. "Aw, come on Sebastian! Finny said he'd give me all his old clothes! Besides, skirts suck and it's very difficult to kick people in the face when you're wearing several layers of fabric around your legs. You know what I mean, right? Not about the skirt thing, about the kicking people in the face thing."

He didn't say anything in response, but I felt his chest reverberate when he chuckled. My cheeks heated up and I remembered that moment back in the mansion on Houndsworth. I tried not to think about it too often, especially since Sebastian had never brought it up. I had concluded that he had just been teasing me and I shouldn't get so flustered over something like that.

I mean, it wasn't like he had _kissed_ me or anything.

He walked back into the room and put me down on my own two feet. I watched as he walked over to the discarded maid uniform on the bed. "Well then, Thalia," he held it up, his face the very picture of innocence. "Since you're so against wearing this, I suppose I'll just have to help you."

I blinked. "Wait, what? NO, NO WAY!" He grabbed me before I could run. What occurred next I will not say but, as I said before, it was very scarring for me. The long and short of the story is that, in the end, he eventually got me into the maid outfit.

Which just goes to show that being a very fast, incredibly strong demon butler usually enables you to get the job done.

As soon as I was dressed, I sprinted from the room and ran to Ciel's study where I tackle-hugged the cute little Earl because I hadn't seen him that day to give him my usual greeting of love. Honestly, I think he's getting used to my random bursts of affection. "Ciel, hello~!"

"_Gack_!" He gasped. "Thalia!" I pulled away and smiled down at him cheerfully, and then I realized that Bard, Finny, Mey-Rin and even Tanaka were also in the room. "Oh, hi you guys."

Once Ciel had recovered from the shock of my hug, he resumed an air of quiet annoyance. The kind that, when faced with, would make anyone nervous. Mey-Rin cracked first, apparently she couldn't take the silence anymore. "So then, what was this matter you wanted to discuss with us, young master?"

He looked up at them. "There is a job I want you all to do."

The relief and excitement that lit their faces was almost comical, as was the group hug they did. "What a relief! Being called up to the young master, I thought we were going to be fired for sure!"

"Ho-ho-ho~!" _I suppose everyone was terrified, except Tanaka. He's old, so he has little to nothing to worry about. _

Ciel reached down and placed a camera on his table. It looked old, but it was well polished and appeared to be very expensive. "This is one of the items that Talbot is said to have collected," he explained. "A camera with a past. I heard this long-lost item had come up in an auction and went through quite some trouble to acquire it."

I leaned forward curiously. I had always been interested in history and anything pertaining to the past. "William Henry Fox Talbot," an unfamiliar voice said, and I spun around. Tanaka stood before us, fully human and not stunted in any way. He actually looked quite distinguished and serious, and not like the cute, tea-drinking dwarf I'd always seen him as. "He was an English scientist, and one of the inventors of photographic technology."

"I did not know Tanaka could do that," I muttered to myself. Then I shook my head and listened to the rest of his explanation.

"There is a rumour surrounding the last camera he used," Tanaka said. "It says that if you take a picture of someone with that camera then the thing most treasured by the person will be seen in the picture."

"The thing most important to that person?" Mey-Rin asked. I folded my arms, and then yelped when Tanaka swelled briefly, and then popped (literally) back into his stunted form.

"So, this is the camera?" I asked curiously. It looked kind of ordinary to me. Well, there was only one way to test its authenticity. "Let's try it out!"

Ciel quickly set it up and aimed it at Finny. "Don't move," he snapped at the nervous gardener. "The picture takes ten seconds for the negative exposure." Finny froze and became a statue. _Finny? Finny are you okay? I don't think he's breathing._ "If you don't stay still, the image will blur and it won't come out properly," Ciel said. "Eight. Nine. Ten. Alright, we're done."

"_Gah!_" Finny gasped for air and I sweatdropped and patted him on the back.

"It was okay to breathe though…" Ciel commented as he opened the camera to take out the film. After developing it, the picture showed Finny and, in the corner, a tiny little bird.

"Ah, that's my little bird!" Finny cried. This, of course, prompted a story of how the bird died. It was quite a sad story, and rather traumatic to hear and probably even more traumatic relive. I went to go hug Finny, who was sitting in a depressed corner, while Tanaka became fully formed again. It was odd seeing him like that after only knowing him as being a tiny deformed non-speaking character for so long.

"Ah, I forgot to mention something," he said. "The precious something that is reflected is one that does not belong in this world."

"You mean dead," I deadpanned. "Just say that it's something that is dead." _Like my mother._ I shook the thought away, but couldn't help stroking the ring on my finger a little.

Ciel sat back again. "The most precious thing to that person, which is not of this world. In other words, it means that the dead are transposed into the photograph." Behind him, Bard and Mey-Rin screamed (though Mey-Rin's sounded more like an excited squeal).

"Do occult stories like that really exist in the 19th Century world?" Bard asked, shaking tremulously.

"How amazing!" Mey-Rin beamed. "What an exceptional camera!"

I continued patting Finny while he cried in the corner for his little birdie. "There, there," I said in a soothing voice. "Let it all out. Don't worry, birdie's in a better place now."

"WAH, MY LITTLE BIRDIE!"

"I want all of you to take a picture of Sebastian with this camera, and do it without him realizing it," I heard Ciel say over the sounds of Finny's crying. I froze, and then I got to my feet and proceeded to walk out of the room.

"Nope, nothing doing, nyet, nein and no way," I said as I made my way to the door. "I'm going to go clean the tables or stitch the curtains or count every plate we have in this house. Bye!"

"If you succeed, I'll order Sebastian to cook something with chocolate for dessert," Ciel's voice followed me. I paused, one hand resting on the doorknob, and turned around with my eyebrows lowered. Ciel _knew_ my weakness for dessert, especially desserts made by Sebastian. For him to use that on me was just low… "I'll even have him make fudge."

"I'll do it!" I spun around and bounced back.

"Who is the one Sebastian cares most for?" Mey-Rin wondered, a blush on her face. "I'd like to know!"

"That bastard is always finding flaws in my artistic cooking!" Bard said. _Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say _artistic. That morning he had put gunpowder into the chicken to give it more _oomph_ when it cooked. Long story short, we now needed a new stove and someone to repair that portion of the wall. "He's human too! He has to have a weak spot or two! This is our chance to find them!"

I shrugged and smiled. "Hey, I'm just in this for the free chocolate."

Ciel smirked. "So, you'll do it?" We all agreed, and I just hoped we hadn't managed to sign our own death warrants.

oOo

**Plan 1: The Library**

_This is not going to work,_ I thought to myself with a quiet sigh. The only reason I was doing this, apart from the promise of dessert and chocolate, was because it appealed to my sneaky, Street Rat nature. Besides, Bard was right about Sebastian needing to be taken down a notch or two.

_But the thing is,_ I wondered as we crouched behind one of the shelves. _Can he actually be brought down? He is a demon, does he even care about any living thing except cats?_

The four of us were clustered behind one of the bookshelves and watching Sebastian clean the room. Because he was cleaning, he wasn't staying in one place for longer than four seconds at a time. "Stay still!" Bard grunted, steadying the camera every time Sebastian moved.

"He just needs to stay in one place for ten seconds!" Mey-Rin hissed.

"Ten seconds!" Finny echoed. I nudged the two of them angrily and made zipping motions with my hands. _You idiots, he's a demon! He has super hearing for Pete's sake!_

Too late, as though he had heard us, Sebastian began zipping around the room faster than we could follow. "He's going so fast I'm having trouble keeping up with him with my eyes!" Mey-Rin wailed.

"Damn it, there's no way we can snap him like that!" Bard groaned. Suddenly, Sebastian stopped and stared at one of the flower arrangements on one of the tables. "Oh, he stopped! Now's our chance!" The butler then whipped out a red rose and tucked it between its white brothers and sisters, and then walked out, leaving the room sparkling and dust-free.

_Well fuck… _I thought to myself as I stared at the gleaming room. "I forgot to take it," Bard murmured, apparently just as overcome as I was. I facepalmed and exhaled softly. _Okay, plan one failed._

**Plan 2: Parlour Room**

I stared at the large table Finny was pushing. It looked like a pool table, and I could only imagine that he had gotten it from the game room. I turned to Bard and Mey-Rin, and then I looked back at Finny. "Okay…how is this going to make Sebastian stay still?" I asked curiously.

"Simple!" Bard made a fist with one hand. "When Finny charges into the room with the table, Sebastian will be so surprised that he won't be able to move! Finny will knock into him…" at that point, he punched the palm of his other hand. "…and knock him down long enough for us to take the picture!"

I stared at him, and then at the table. Finally, I shrugged. "It's your plan, not mine. If anything breaks, and something _definitely_ will, I had nothing to do with it."

Mey-Rin pouted at me. "Where's your sense of team spirit, Thalia?"

I pinched the cheek closest to me cheerfully, which made her flail her arms around wildly. "You know I love you guys very much, but my sense of self-preservation ranks really high in many cases, this being one of them. Sebastian scares me and I would prefer to not die of manual labour or worse, alright?"

The rest of us went to station ourselves while Finny lined himself and the table up with the door. The poor boy, because he was in my books, took a deep breath and then charged while screaming. The door flew open. "Watch out!" Finny yelled. Sebastian looked up and calmly, in the manner of a true matador, stepped out of the way.

Finny, and the table, broke through the wall and into the garden. Sebastian went back to cleaning up while the three of us stared. I whistled lowly. "We are going to need a new wall now," I muttered. _Plan two failed as well._

**Plan 3: The Butler Room**

I looked down at Ciel as he fingered the untied fabric at his neck. "Will this really work though?" I wondered. "Everything else we've done has pretty much failed," I folded my arms across my chest and smirked. "It's probably your fault for getting _one hell of a butler_."

Ciel's glare told me he was not pleased with my teasing, so I shrugged and looked out the window to see how everyone else was getting long. Finny was holding the ladder at the base, while Bard and Mey-Rin steadied the camera on the top rung. They looked like a bunch of stalkers, but that was pretty much what we'd been doing all day anyway.

The door opened, and I turned away from the window. "Was there something you wanted, young master?" Sebastian asked as he stepped into the room.

Ciel gestured to his neck. "It's untied." At that moment, I realized that this was why I would never be a very good servant. I could carry out all my duties with all the finesse needed, but I didn't have the patience to do much. I would be _way_ too sarcastic to everyone I came in contact with.

Sebastian, however, was not. He was probably just very used to all of Ciel's random orders. "Could Miss Thalia not tie it for you?" He asked as his gaze went to mine. Was it just me, or did he smirk just a little?

My eyes narrowed, and then I shrugged. "I'm new at this servant stuff," I told him as nonchalantly as possible. "I won't know how to tie these things right."

He _was _smirking, that bastard. "Understood," he said simply, and he began tying up the knot. _Finally, we've got him in one spot! Now we just need to keep him like that for ten seconds!_ Of course, luck was not on our side as Sebastian chose that moment to go to the window and open it. "Let's let some air in, shall we, young master?"

I mentally facepalmed once again. _Plan three failed._

**Break Time **

We were all sitting in the corridor, sighing to ourselves mournfully. "Why do we have to go through all this trouble for a single photograph?" Bard groaned. The camera that had started all of this was beside him.

I raised my hand. "Because Ciel told us to?" I sat with my legs crossed, because it was a hundred times more comfortable than kneeling on the ground like Mey-Rin was doing. "What are we going to do? If we don't get this, I won't get my Sebastian-made dessert of chocolate!"

"Sebastian does make good chocolate," Finny sighed. I nodded and we all exhaled depressed breaths of air. Suddenly, the door beside us flew open, revealing the person I had just been talking about. I yelped quietly and rolled behind Bard.

Luckily, Sebastian didn't look very unhappy. "There is a job I'd like to ask you all to do."

"Ominous words," I muttered, remembering that those were words Ciel had first said to us that morning, before he'd made us go on this wild goose chase.

"Wh-what is it?" Mey-Rin stammered nervously.

Sebastian turned to the window. "That." I looked in the direction he was. Pluto was standing outside the window in his giant dog form. I blinked. We were on the second floor. The Devil dog was standing on its hind legs and peering into the house.

Finny and I began to squeal over Pluto together while Bard blinked and looked back at Sebastien. "Yeah, what's up with the pooch?"

"In the afternoon, we are receiving a guest here at the mansion," Sebastian said. "Please move that out of the way do that it does not offend our guest's eyes."

"Hey," I frowned at Sebastian. "Pluto is a dog, not a '_that_', okay?" Sebastian glanced down at me, and smiled but didn't reply. I shivered. Something about that smile made goosebumps appear all over my arms and made cold spots appear on my back. I averted my gaze and hopped over to where Finny was.

"Somewhere out of sight, being?" Bard asked.

Sebastian turned back to the man, to my relief. "I shall leave that to up to you, just get it done before the guest arrives." _Well thanks for nothing Sebastien, _I huffed and glared at his retreating back.

oOo

"Plu Plu, come here!" I watched from the Pluto's back as Finny tried to drag the giant dog away from the mansion. It was an epic struggle and tug-o'-war, and Finny seemed to be winning. Pluto was not very happy about it. The dog dug its heels into the ground and tried to pull back.

"Careful Finny," I yelled as I clung to the fur around Pluto's neck. "I'm still up here!" Why was I riding on Pluto, you ask? Well, it was the only way to get the rope around his neck. I got him to lie down, since I was the only person he listened to with the exception of Sebastian. Unfortunately, when he stood up, I was sitting on his back and thus…we have our current predicament.

"Hold on Thalia!" Mey-Rin yelled. "We'll get you down!"

"Come here!" At that moment, either Finny pulled or Pluto jumped (I believe it was the former) and Pluto was suddenly airborne. I screamed as a plume of fire shot out of Pluto's mouth and hit Finny. The heat of the flames caused the length of rope trailing from around Pluto's neck to burn and break.

"ARGH! FINNY, HELP ME!" I yelled as Pluto went bounding towards the house while I clung on to the fur on his neck for dear life. Finally, Pluto stopped and curled up in the ground, apparently deciding that this was an excellent place to sleep, right in front of the mansion, therefore rendering all our hard work useless. _I feel like that's been the story of everything I've been through today,_ I sighed with relief as I slid down off Pluto's back and made myself comfortable on the stone steps of the mansion.

"_Meow~_" I looked down as Morgan padded over to me. She regarded me out of green eyes and mewed again. She had been AWOL all day, and I couldn't help wondering where she had been. She did this often, darted out of my room every morning and I only ever saw her when she was hungry or napping somewhere in the house.

She pushed her head against my arm and mewed some more. "Where have you been?" I muttered. She yawned widely and crawled into my lap. "Oh, now you want me to cuddle you?" I sighed and scratched her under the chin gently, feeling the loud vibrations as she purred with contentment. For a moment, I relaxed. "This has been a really stressful day..."

Footsteps alerted me to someone's presence, and a familiar voice. "Good grief, those three…" Sebastian exhaled and put his hands to his face.

"Don't be too hard on them," I stroked the top of Morgan's head absent-mindedly. "Pluto's a bit of a handful, and he only really listens to you."

The butler sighed again and stood above me. "Still, maybe it would be easier if he just ate them." I giggled under my breath at that, and he smiled slightly. "Also, why are you here Thalia? Shouldn't you be helping them, or don't you have chores to do?"

I hissed and stood up with Morgan in my arms. Standing upright, I only just came up to his chest. I had underestimated how closely he was standing to me. My nose was only a few centimetres from his chest. I flushed slightly and tried to cover it up with my hair. "I guess you're right. I'll go do…whatever Ciel wants me to do, I guess," I looked up at him at that moment. That was a mistake. His crimson eyes were staring right into mine.

I suddenly felt nervous. Maybe it was because of the eye contact, or maybe it was because of our close proximity, but whatever it was, I felt my heart begin to beat faster than normal. His smile certainly wasn't helping matters. "What's wrong, Thalia?" His voice sounded, of all things, _sultry_. "You look rather flushed."

_What is with that tone of voice? _The fake innocence in his tone made me bristle, and I mentally slapped myself to jolt myself out of my nervous mindset. "It's a warm day," I scowled. "And I was running after Pluto."

His smirk widened. My mind raced to draw conclusions. _Wait, is he _flirting_ with me?_ _Dammit, he is not going to use his sexy demon charm on me! I am made of stronger stuff, goddammit! I will not succumb just because he happens to be better looking than pretty much every other man I have ever seen in my life! _

_Shit, is he moving closer?_

He was. Sebastien leaned closer to me, bending slightly so that we were eye to eye. His breath was warm on my lips. My blush was making itself well known now. "Mmm," he hummed low in his throat. "Are you sure that's the only reason, _Thalia_?"

The way he pronounced my name almost produced physical response in me. The warmth in my face moved downwards to my chest, and then spread.

I couldn't do this.

I didn't have to.

The sound of our voices had woken Pluto up from his nap and, for whatever reason, he transformed back into his human form in a whirlwind of fire, ran up the stone steps and tackled me away from Sebastian and to the ground. "AGH, PLUTO!" I screamed. "THE FUCK?" I yelped as he began rubbing his face against mine and making happy dog sounds. You know, if he hadn't been human and naked, this would have actually been really cute.

Instead, it was only moderately cute.

"Aw, good dog, good dog!" I scratched behind his ears and he began kicking one leg out spasmodically. "You're such a cute demon dog, aren't you, Pluto?" He whined happily and licked my cheek. I grimaced and wiped the saliva away with the back of my hand. "Okay, you are _not_ allowed to do that while in human form," I told him while wiping my hand on my skirt.

When I looked up at Sebastian, he looked…pissed. Like, _really _pissed. I suppose no man wants to be upstaged by a dog. Especially when that dog looks like a person. "Thalia, you have chores, do you not?" Oh, _now_ he wanted me to go and do my chores? He didn't have any problems with distracting me earlier.

I was feeling more in control of myself after Pluto's sudden tackle and show of doggy affection. You know, I think that's why I love dogs. They love you without expecting much in return. "I'm going, I'm going," I climbed to my feet, scratched Pluto under the chin and walked into the house without looking back.

oOo

I was dusting the front room downstairs, which was one of my duties, when the bell of the house rang. There was more dust in the front room than I would have expected. You'd think that with Sebastian doing the cleaning, there wouldn't be a speck of dust anywhere. It wouldn't surprise me if he'd left the place like that on purpose, just to spite me for ignoring him in favour of Pluto.

Well I'm _sorry_. Pluto wasn't trying to seduce me in front of the house. Especially since I didn't want to be seduced anyway.

I stopped cleaning and my fingers clenched a little tighter than necessary around the greying dust-cloth at the thought of that red-eyed pervert. How dare he try to seduce me like that? I should have punched him in the gut, or jabbed him in the solar plexus. That I was wondering why I _hadn't_ done any of those things was probably why I didn't hear the doorbell immediately.

"Hold on!" I called. I dropped the cloth I was using to dust on the table and made my way to the door. "Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor," I said when I opened the door. Standing outside was a man dressed in Chinese clothing, and a woman that was dressed in…well…a very tiny kimono-like outfit. I blinked, and then remembered that I was supposed to be a maid and so snapping out a '_what do you want?'_ probably wasn't a good idea. "Uh…good afternoon, sir, miss."

_God I sound so awkward._

The man didn't seem to notice. "Ah, the little Earl got a new maid?" He smiled. He had been smiling from the second the door opened. Perpetual smiles freak me out. I actually preferred the girl's blank and almost soulless expression to his. At least hers seemed real.

I curtsied and stepped back so they could enter the mansion. _Wait, do I leave them here and go and tell Ciel? Do I have to stay and entertain them until he comes? Do I offer them drinks and stuff? Wow this maid shit is harder than it looks…_

Luckily, Sebastian showed up and put me out of my misery. "Master Lau, Ran Mao, welcome," he bowed slightly, so I curtsied again as awkwardly as I had the first time.

"Sebastian," Lau turned to the man. "I was just commenting on the young earl's new maid. She is quite striking to look at, isn't she? Especially her hair." I touched the ends of my braid self-consciously and flushed slightly. "The contrast and link between her hair and eyes is quite marvelous. How much do you think the young earl would ask for if I said I wanted to buy her?"

_I am not for sale, you Chinese bastard!_ I was about to open my mouth to yell this insult, and many others like it, but Sebastian nudged my arm and I bit down on my tongue. "Unfortunately, Master Lau, Thalia is not for sale. Thalia," he turned to me, and I quelled any urge I had to insult the Chinese man in front of me. To me, Sebastian was far scarier than a perverted Chinese man. "Please go and alert the young master to Lau's arrival."

**Please read and review.**

**Butterfly**


	7. Bad Plans and Bad Memories

**Hey you guys! I was a bit preoccupied with my other story, but I'm back now. I own nothing but Thalia, and a few side arcs that I may want to implement later on. Enjoy the chapter. Constructive criticism is, as always, totally appreciated. **

**Bad Plans and Bad Memories**

I walked, almost ran, up the stairs and into Ciel's study, just in time to hear him say something to Bard about not being allowed to use flamethrowers. Everyone immediately wilted as, whatever their plan had been, was shot down (mercifully. The house had sustained enough damage for one day, which I would have to clean up later).

"Ciel, someone called Master Lau is here to see you," I told him when I walked inside. "Also, he said he wanted to buy me," I added as a bit of an afterthought, and then I looked at Ciel curiously. "Why would he want to do that?"

Ciel twitched, and his visible eye narrowed slightly. "Lau runs an opium den, and a brothel."

I blinked once, twice, just as the door opened and Lau walked in. "Hi Earl!"

I immediately ran behind Ciel's chair and glared at the man from behind the little Earl, like a highly irate cat. "Keep that guy away from me, or I may kill him. And I'm not kidding about that." I'd seen enough of the inside of a brothel that I would _never_ want to go back.

Ciel sighed and glared at him as well, or that could just have been the face he had on. Ciel rarely ever looked happy, I had noticed, but sometimes he appeared soft and not as hard as he normally was. This was not one of those times. "What are you doing here, Lau?"

"I heard something interesting was going on, so I decided to visit," Lau replied cheerfully. _How did you hear about this? _I wondered dully as my eyes narrowed even more. _None of us have been outside the house!_

"Go home," Ciel deadpanned immediately. _Yeah, do that._

Lau pouted and leaned further over the desk. I responded by pulling Ciel's chair, which I was still standing behind, backwards and away from him. Even though he was right in front of me, I couldn't see his eyes. Never trust someone who smiles too much and doesn't look you straight in the eye, they are rarely ever what they appear to be. Right now, I didn't trust Lau any further than I could throw him. "Don't say such cold things," he grinned. "Just leave it to me."

I blinked, and even Ciel looked surprised. _Wait, really? _I frowned at Lau curiously. _He thinks he can catch Sebastian in one afternoon, when the four of us spent almost the whole day trying to do just that?_

"The spider's web has already been woven," Lau picked up one of Ciel's figurines, the one of the sheep. "The more you struggle, the harder it becomes for you to escape from those bonds. Whatever the prey is, once they become involved with me, catching them is only a matter of time."

_Well that came out sounding sufficiently deep and impressive_, I decided. "Alright," Ciel acquiesced. "However, I will not tolerate failure, no matter what."

"But of course," Lau smirked. "If I were to sully the Phantomhive name, I would be expelled from this country after all." _Why are they both making this sound so much more than it is?_ I stopped clinging to the back of Ciel's chair and, instead, opted to stand beside it with my arms folded across my chest. "So," Lau's voice lost its mysteriousness entirely. "What are we doing?"

I facepalmed while Ciel developed an angry twitch on his forehead. "I'm never going to get my chocolate, am I?" I muttered under my breath.

* * *

oOo

* * *

You know, there are dumb plans. There are also stupid plans. There are also plans that make you wonder whether the person who thought of them was high on opium or some other such narcotic.

And then there are the plans that make you want to hit the person over the head with something particularly hard until you knock some sense into them (or until they die, whichever comes first I suppose).

This was one of those plans. Ciel and Lau were hiding behind one of the pillars in the front room. I was hiding inside a vent in the wall because there wasn't anywhere else to hide, and I was still pissed off at Lau. I would probably have killed him if Bard and Finny hadn't restrained me.

See, his _master plan _was to have Ran Mao sit on the banister of the staircase and _seduce _ Sebastian into stopping for the ten seconds needed (or confuse the hell out of him, at the very least. Seriously, who wouldn't be confused to see a strange, barely dressed Chinese girl sitting on your banister?). She didn't seem to mind the plan at all, and I could only assume that it was because she was one of his prostitutes. I don't know, she didn't tell me when I asked her.

Anyway, I was annoyed with Lau because, initially, he had wanted me to sit with Ran Mao as well. "_The butler seems quite taken with you_," he had commented while narrating the plan to us. And then he had beamed and whipped out a replica of Ran Mao's dress – but in black, white and red – from behind his back. "_And look, I even brought a dress that would fit you!_"

_Just you wait, you perverted Chinese Bastard, _I growled in my head. I could hear the sound of a carriage approaching the mansion. I watched as Sebastian walked past the vent I was in. I heard the door of the mansion open, and a man introduced himself. _Time to see how badly this plan fails,_ I twisted my head to the side so I could see the staircase clearly from my spot.

You can tell that I'm rather pessimistic, can't you?

To give her credit, Ran Mao performed her part rather well. Unfortunately, she only managed to seduce the visitor. Sebastian, on the other hand, just kept walking. You'd think he'd stop for, at least, a few seconds to tell Ran Mao to stop posing provocatively on the staircase banister because she was making the guest rather nervous. Nope, he kept on walking like she wasn't even there.

Once I was sure he wasn't looking, I lifted the vent carefully and slithered behind the nearest pillar. I watched as Lau made a series of random arm movements, and my eyes widened as Finny and Mey-Rin began to fan upwards. The action caused Ran Mao's already very short skirt to flutter even higher, which she also didn't seem too concerned about.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. _I am surrounded by crazy people._

If possible, the guest's eyes grew even wider. He looked like Mey-Rin when she read those _books_ she kept under her bed at night (you know what I mean). Sebastian, on the other hand, was the very picture of concerned nonchalance as he gazed at our guest. "Mr. Jones?" _It's like he can't even see her!_ I marveled at his control.

"Huh?" The poor man looked like he had just been pulled back down to Earth, and very much like he was doubting his own sanity. "Oh, right. I'm coming!" I watched as the man ran after Sebastian and disappeared into the rest of the house.

As soon as I couldn't see them anymore, I stepped out of my hiding place and went to slap Bardroy upside the head. "Ow!" He rubbed his head and glared at me. "What was that for?"

"For trying to take a picture of Ran Mao, when you were supposed to be taking one of Sebastian," I told him with a glare of my own. He rubbed the back of his head and at least had the grace to look embarrassed. "Now what do we do?" I asked when Ciel and Lau walked over.

"How strange," Lau pouted. "I thought that would definitely make the butler stop and stare for a second. How disappointing," he frowned for a second, and then he suddenly smiled and whipped out the dress he had brought for me again. "Still, I think the plan I had for Miss Thalia could work. We could hide you in the meeting room and…"

"THAT'S IT!" I leaped at him, and was just barely restrained by Finny and his magical super strength. He held me around the waist and prevented me from getting any closer to knocking one of Lau's bones out of place. "LET GO OF ME FINNY! I PLAN TO KILL THIS PERVERTED SONOFA-!"

"My, my, she is quite feisty isn't she?" Lau commented easily. His comment only made me struggle even more in my restraints.

"SHUT UP! I WILL KILL YOU! PERVERT!"

"Thalia, calm down!" Ciel glared at me. I pouted but I stopped yelling and struggling, and simply hung limp. Finny removed his arms carefully, and I huffed and glared at Lau. Ciel turned to the still-smiling Chinese man. "Lau, stop goading her, otherwise I will not hesitate to set her loose on you," he warned.

At that, I smirked at him and cracked my knuckles for emphasis. Lau only smiled and held up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Thalia…" I turned back to Ciel and noticed him beckoning for me to follow him. He turned to the rest of the servants, and Lau with an irritated expression. "The rest of you can continue thinking up your rather harebrained schemes. Just make sure they don't include fire or turning my mansion into a brothel."

Bard wilted a bit, and Lau shrugged resignedly. I made the universal gesture of _I'm watching you_ at him and turned to follow Ciel.

We walked to his office. He was deep in thought and I was…not exactly deep in thought, but rather unwilling to talk. I wasn't much of a talker or a conversationalist anyway, so the walk was pretty silent. Suddenly, something occurred to me and I looked down at Ciel curiously.

"Hey, Ciel, I'm curious, who is the visitor we have anyway?" I asked him.

Ciel stopped walking. We had arrived in front of his study and I pushed the door open for him without thinking. "He is a representative for a business newspaper," Ciel replied as he walked in ahead of me. I watched as he took his seat and rested his chin on his palm. "He is here to interview the owner of the Phantom Company."

I blinked and hopped onto his desk, a move that would probably have been condemned by Ciel had it been committed anyone else, but because it was me he let it slide. I was special that way. "And that is you…isn't it?"

My question didn't really need to be answered, but Ciel replied me anyway, and without sarcasm. "Yes, it is. But I am still young, and it would be bad for the company's image if the owner was but a child."

I considered this for a moment, and then shrugged. "It shouldn't be. You should be proud of it, of what you've managed to achieve even though you're young. Most people, especially young people, can never hope to come close to this…"

My thoughts drifted to my mother, to the time of my life that could only be called a living nightmare. And then I noticed Ciel staring at me out of his uncovered eye. "You're stroking your ring," he commented. I started and looked down at my hands. The thumb of my left hand smoothed over the cold facets of the ruby on the ring finger of my other hand. "Where did you get that gem, anyway?"

I knew he would ask that. I paused my motion and contemplated telling him, and then I squashed the idea. This was not the time. "I can't tell you now," I crossed my arms, effectively hiding the gem from his line of sight. "Besides, we have to plan a way to get Sebastian to stop for ten seconds!"

Ciel looked annoyed at first, and then he sighed and went back to his thoughts. The study was silent as I watched the young Earl stare fixedly at the tin toy soldiers surrounding the grey, iron sheep. My eyes were fixed on the ceiling as I alternated my thoughts between the past, Ciel, and Sebastian. A part of me was considering how pointless the whole day had been. Another part of me was wondering whether Lau would consider giving me the dress.

Not because I was considering becoming a prostitute, but because those dresses allowed more freedom of movement than my maid outfit did. _I could wear them with stockings or something…_I mused silently. _But then people would stare at me a lot…_

"To stop that thing for ten seconds…" Ciel spoke suddenly. I looked at him curiously when he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This was the last thing I wanted to do, but I suppose I have no choice if we are to get him to stay still."

Worry bubbled in my chest and my eyes narrowed. "Ciel," I began warily. "Just what are you thinking of doing? It isn't anything too…dangerous, right?"

He chose to ignore me, which left me to worry in silence until Sebastian came in with a plate of cakes, at which point I promptly stopped worrying. "Today I have prepared the Devil Dog cake from our trip to Houndsworth," Sebastian placed a plate of three small cakes made to look like a dog's paws in front of Ciel, as well as a cup of tea.

Ciel stabbed one with a fork and held it up with a look that was part confusion, and part irritation. "Why does something like this exist?" He muttered as he ate one.

I grinned. "Bard, Mey-Rin, Finny and I bought a lot of it when we went into the town for a while. It was really cheap, and rather popular for something with such morbid connotations," I shuddered when I remembered the creepy town and it's creepy villagers. "I think I ate all of mine though…" I said to no one in particular. "They were really good though…"

Ciel ate another one and changed the subject. "How did the article go?"

"Tanaka showed his formidable strength as the company president," Sebastian reported. "In my opinion, I feel that the interview went quite well." _Tanaka? But, he's tiny most of the time! How long did he last in his normal human form? Not long, I'm guessing._ I kept my thoughts to myself and pretended to be transfixed by the shapes on the ceiling.

"I see," Ciel smiled a smile that was slightly self-depreciating. "Well, it's not like I could be the face of the company at the moment."

Sebastian smiled as well. I watched him out of the corner of my eyes. "There was also a photograph taken at the end of the interview," he commented with perfect casualness. I remembered the first time I had seen him, when I had noticed that air of perfection, and I considered what made that aura so terrifying.

To give him credit, Ciel was also quite good at lying. "Oh," he feigned an air of rather mild interest and poked another cake with his fork. "A photograph?"

"Yes," Sebastien nodded slightly, still smiling. "Lately, it seems the fashion is to have a photograph accompany an article." Ciel hummed slightly. "Young master, why don't you take one as well? You could have it done with Miss Thalia." My eyes widened and I realized that he was looking right at me.

_Shit, does he know what we've been doing? I bet he does. Stupid demon butler!_

Out loud, I said: "Hahahaha, no," I hopped off the table. "Photogenic, I am not. I'll see you later, Ci – young master," I corrected myself hastily. For some reason, it felt a little awkward to be calling Ciel by his first name in front of Sebastian, now that I was officially working for him. I quickly opened the door and shut it behind me. I could still hear them through the door.

"Was she about to call you by your name, young master?" Sebastian sounded like he was smirking.

"Wipe that look off your face, Sebastian," Ciel snapped. There was a pause, and then Ciel spoke again. "Oi, did she take one of my cakes?"

I quickly popped the white-chocolate flavoured treat into my mouth and skipped down the halls towards the kitchen. The house had been oddly quiet while I had been with Ciel, and I was worried that in my absence, someone had died and the others were trying to hide the body.

**No One's POV**

Ciel glared down at his empty plate. If Thalia hadn't taken one of the cakes, he'd still have one more left to eat. The girl shared his love of sweet things, which was both a good thing and a bad thing.

Ever since he had seen her, he couldn't shake the thought that he had seen her somewhere before, or at least like he somehow _knew _her. There was something undeniably familiar about her.

You would think that someone with such a unique hair colour would be easy to spot and easier to remember, but the memory seemed to be buried under so many and searching through them only served to give him a headache.

Sebastian noticed the dark, contemplative glare on the young boy's face, but didn't say anything. Why would he, when Thalia's scent still hung about the room like a rapidly disappearing shadow? Something about her drew him to her, and he wasn't sure what. He recalled the afternoon, the way she had flushed when he came close to her. Had she never been with a man?

The thought that she might actually still be pure sent a surprisingly hungry thrill skittering through him. He yearned for her, for her taste, her warmth, for the chance to take her and taint her with his mark.

He smirked slightly and considered his thoughts. He was beginning to have an idea of why he desired her so much…

"Sebastian…" The butler turned to his young master, not a trace of his previous thoughts showing on his face. Ciel wasn't looking at him anyway, so he needn't have bothered so much. "Since Thalia is new to the mansion, and unused to servant work, I want her to assist you in preparing tonight's dinner."

Sebastian arched an eyebrow. In reality, Thalia was actually quite used to the jobs of a maid. She could dust and sweep and wash clothes as well as the next maid. It was the fact that she had to act subservient to a bunch of, in her own words, _money-hungry, pompous bastards _that grated on her nerves.

Of course, she had earned a thwack on her ear, courtesy of Sebastian, as he reminded her that young women weren't permitted to use such language. The injury had only caused her to swear again, louder this time, and then sprint from the room when he lifted his hand again with that peculiar, closed-eyes smile of his.

Of course, Sebastian said none of this. Instead, he smirked and bowed. "Yes, my lord."

**Reviews are always appreciated! **


	8. Scars and Marks

**So my writing for this chapter may be a bit off kilter because I had serious writer's block for this. I'm not even kidding, I don't even know how it ended up this long because my brain seemed like it was on ground zero. *Sigh* anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

**I don't own Kuroshitsuji.**

**Scars and Marks**

Ciel didn't leave his study for the rest of the day, which wasn't so surprising so I didn't think too much of it. What I _was_ wary of, however, was that I hadn't really seen much of Mey-Rin and Finny, or of the Chinese pervert and his accomplice for quite a while. I wondered, as I traipsed around the rooms and dusted the parlour rooms, if they had both left.

Later that evening, Sebastian shooed Bard out of the kitchen so he could prepare the night's dinner. This was the usual thing done in order to avoid the kitchen, or the food, exploding. Also, the last time Bard cooked dinner I found TNT in my fish. So, yeah…

The odd thing, though, was that Bard actually _left_. Just like that, without even an argument. He just grunted something vaguely insulting under his breath, and then left the kitchen hurriedly. I stared after the blonde man curiously as he slipped past me and disappeared into the corridor. "Huh," I folded my arms across my chest and rested my back against the doorframe. "Well that was suspicious."

"Indeed," Sebastian didn't look surprised in the slightest. It probably took a lot to shock him, I figured. "Thalia…" I took my weight off the doorframe and turned to look at him curiously. And then I wondered how he always managed to get so close to me without me noticing. Normally, I was very good at sensing people.

_Oh yeah, he's not a person. Well, not quite… _

"Yes?" I snapped out the cloth in my hand that I had been using to dust. I had only come to the kitchen to throw it into the drawer we kept these things in.

Sebastian smirked down at me with his typical polite, _I-may-look-like-I'm-innocent-but-in-reality-I-will-probably-do-something-very-bad-to-you-soon_ expression. I was immediately on guard. "The young master has asked that you assist me in preparing dinner."

I frowned. Ciel? Ciel wanted me to spend the next two hours trapped in the company of this pervert? _Ciel, why don't you love me? I thought we were friends! Is it because I stole your cake? Because I do not regret that at all!_

_Okay,_ I paled a little when Sebastian leaned closer to me, his eyes gleaming in the light from the bulb, _maybe I do regret it just a little… _"Uh, Sebastian?" I leaned further away from him in an attempt to put sufficient distance between us. "What are you doing…?"

Suddenly, Sebastian's arm slid into the space between my arm and my hip. I blushed and reached up to shove him away. He barely budged, and instead I got a relatively good feel of his chest underneath the shirt. He had taken off his jacket and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his shoulders.

"Why, nothing Thalia," he smirked down at me, eyes roving my face. "What's wrong, _my lady_?" Fake concern dripped from every word, barely covering how seductive his voice had become. "Are you alright?"

"This is _not _nothing," I hissed back at him, trying to move out of his arms. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Let go of me!" I took a huge step backwards…

…and my back hit the previously open door.

Oh, that was what he had been reaching for. He had shut me inside.

_Shit._ The word ran through my head more than once as Sebastian grinned down at me. His eyes were glowing red-pink and swirling with energy. I felt like a deer in front of a hunter, only there was nowhere to run and my only escape point had been barred. "Let go of me!" I snarled and tried to kick him. He shifted his legs so that he was pinning me to the door with his weight. I suddenly felt a flash of cold panic.

His hands left the doorknob behind me and gripped my hand, the one I had burned when we were in Houndsworth. The memory made me blush harder and avoid his eyes, especially when he lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a surprisingly tender kiss to the knuckle. "Does it still hurt?"

I blinked, surprised at his question, and even more surprised at the fact that he actually seemed a genuinely concerned about it. "Uh…no, not anymore?" In my confusion, the statement came out sounding more like a question. Besides, even if it had hurt, I probably would have told him the same thing. I was used to getting bruises and scars, and part of that was getting used to the pain that came with them. "Thanks for asking I guess…"

_Now, if you could just take several steps backwards and maintain a minimum of at least four feet of distance between us then that would be great._

For a second it seemed like he was actually going to move away and start on dinner. I exhaled softly with relief, and then he spotted something on my wrist. His face darkened and he scowled. I blinked and followed his gaze. He was staring at one of my old scars.

I had to admit, it had been particularly bad gash. The scar left behind was kind of ugly and thin, and it went from my wrist, up my arm and stopped just shy of my elbow.

Sebastian grabbed my arm with surprising gentleness that didn't tally with how annoyed he suddenly seemed. Still, his voice barely betrayed his emotions. "How did you get this?" His fingers traced the darker line of skin until it disappeared underneath the rolled up sleeve of my uniform.

I frowned and batted his fingers away harshly. "Why do you care?" I snapped as I tugged my sleeve down so it covered the scar properly. He arched his eyebrows, apparently slightly surprised by the vehemence in my tone. I immediately felt bad. "Look, none my scars have particularly good memories," I told him. I gave him another shove. This time he moved so I could get past him.

"Where did that one come from?" He asked as I moved past him.

I huffed and threw the duster onto the counter. "If you must know, that one came as a result of someone trying to…uh…you know what? Screw that story," I suddenly felt embarrassed and not in the mood to share anecdotes.

Sebastian arched an eyebrow and smiled. "Oh? Now you've piqued my interest, Thalia. Won't you tell me?"

"Not a chance in hell," I stuck my tongue out at him. He smirked at my words, and I remembered that he was a demon so of course he would find that amusing. I rolled my eyes but cracked a smile back. "Now," I eyed the plethora of spices, vegetables and cooking utensils on the table. There was even a chicken. "What are we making?"

"What am _I _making," he corrected, nudging me out of the way. "Dinner is Rouen-style duck, and I'll be preparing it."

"Aw, why?" I asked, picking up a thin, particularly sharp cooking knife and eying it critically. "I can cook! Well," I amended. "I don't put explosives inside the food anyway." I hadn't really cooked in a while, but I knew how to prepare basic dishes. "Besides," I added, seeing that he had already started peeling the carrots. "Ciel said I should _assist_ you. Give me something to do!"

He ignored me. I sighed and gazed at the ingredients on the table curiously. What I had previously thought was chicken, was actually a whole duck. Beside it was a bowl of green olives. I stabbed an olive with the knife and ate it. _Mmm, olives are good_. I ate another one.

I turned to face him with the bowl in my hands. "Sebastian, if you don't give me something to do, I'll eat all the ingredients! Well, except the tomatoes and the raw vegetables," I amended quickly, eating another olive, "and, of course, I can't eat a raw duck. But I will eat everything else! And then you won't have enough things to cook with and your cooking won't taste as perfect as it usually does! And then Ciel will yell at you and order you to cook something else, and if you don't let me help again then this is going to end up being a very vicious cycle!"

He stopped peeling the carrots and turned to stare at me with an odd look on his face. I stared back at him blankly, refusing to regret my earlier monologue or feel embarrassed whatsoever. After a lengthy staring contest, he capitulated. "Fine," he sighed. "Come here and help me dice the ginger."

I squealed gleefully and dropped the bowl of olives back on the table. I quickly hopped over to his side. On my first try, I nearly sliced my fingers off.

"No, you're not holding the knife correctly," Sebastian grabbed my hand and positioned it accordingly. "Hold it firmly and angle it slightly," his lips were by my ear and his arms were circling my body. I could feel his body behind me, just a little shy of pressing me into the counter.

My face flamed and I lowered my head so he wouldn't see how red I'd gone. "Yeah, yeah, I got it," I muttered, feeling flustered at our close contact. He released me with an amused smile and, for the next few minutes, we didn't really speak apart from the occasional murmur of '_I'm done_' from me, and Sebastian's quiet words of advice when I looked like I was about to lose a digit or several.

Finally, the duck was placed in the oven to roast. I exhaled loudly and stretched. "Oh my god, that took _so_ _damn long_," I tugged my hair free from the low bun I had tied it in while we were cooking. I ran my hair through the damp, sweat-and-water-vapour-soaked strands. My eyes narrowed at Sebastian when I saw him rolling down the sleeves of his shirt. He looked perfectly put together, without a strand of hair out of place. "I hate you," I scowled. "How do you do this so easily?"

He smirked and buttoned the cuffs. "What kind of butler would I be if I allowed such a small thing to disturb me?"

I arched an eyebrow. "I don't know," I said. "A normal one?" He chuckled slightly and I went back to trying to air out my hair before I braided it. Suddenly, I felt hands on my shoulders and a presence behind me. "Uh, Sebastian, what are you doing?" I asked warily.

"There is something on your neck," he replied. "May I see what it is?"

I shrugged and dropped my arms. "It's probably another scar," I told him as he parted my hair to reveal the nape of my neck. I couldn't see him at all, but I felt the way he suddenly tensed behind me. For a few seconds, he seemed well and truly shell-shocked. "Sebastian?" I turned my head so I could see him from the corner of my eye. "Are you alright?"

He was silent for a moment, and then he spoke in a rough voice that was so low that I knew I wasn't really supposed to hear him. "Well…" he hummed. "This explains so much."

"Explains what?" I asked him. I felt his gloved fingers brush against the back of my neck and I jerked. "Hey, what was that?" The sudden fillip of energy that had hit me the second his fingers touched me was surprising, to say the least. He released my hair with a strange reluctance and I turned to stare at him curiously. "What's on my neck?" _Please don't let it be something like the beginnings of some lethal disease!_

Sebastian stared down at me with an intensity I had never seen before, and then his eyes widened and he was seeing beyond me. Then he smirked and walked towards the kitchen door, grabbing his suit jacket along the way and arranging himself. "I suppose it's my turn now."

I followed him, wondering what was going on. "Your turn for what?" I asked. _Why does it feel like everyone is conniving to confuse me? _"What the hell is going on?"

We ran outside. Well, I did. Sebastian abandoned me sometime between the time we got out of the kitchen, and when we reached the front door. I was still confused as to how he managed to disappear so quickly and without me noticing.

_Damn that demon,_ I thought as I pushed open the door and raced out into the cool, night air. For a second, I couldn't see anything, and then I heard sounds coming from the forest at the back of the mansion. I could see something happening, and then I heard a huge crash like stone shattering.

_Ciel!_ I feared the absolute worst. I ran to the back and gasped. For a minute, all I could see was dust. Slowly, it began to clear and I almost sagged with relief. Ciel was lying on the ground, Sebastian kneeling above him. There were a giant, white marble wings on his back, the remains of an angel statue lying a few metres away. "CIEL!"

"Thalia?" The young boy turned to me and barely had time to say anything before I ran over to him, shoved Sebastian out of the way (to his surprise and slight annoyance) and hugged him tightly. "Thalia…?"

"THE HELL MAN?" I half-yelled, half-sobbed into his hair. "DON'T FREAKING TERRIFY ME LIKE THAT AGAIN OR I WILL KILL YOU! SCREW THIS, SCREW SEBASTIAN, though I am actually grateful that he saved you and shit, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT!" I was really upset, as you can tell by my hysterical babbling and yelling. Who wouldn't be? I really cared about Ciel, alright? Of course I was going to freaking panic!

Sebastian's eyebrows twitched but I ignored him, still intent on hugging Ciel who was patting me on the head like I was a puppy that needed to be calmed down. Suddenly, fireworks lit the air as the giant Chinese dragons that I had not seen before began spewing the colourful sparks into the air.

Lau and the Chinese girl, Ran Mao, walked out from behind one. "Now, isn't this a wonderful scene?" Lau smiled at us like all of this was perfectly normal and alright. _Hey, Chinese bastard, you and I still have problems._

Ciel stopped patting me. I pulled away as he turned to Sebastian. "You're late," he snapped.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian apologised. "I was making preparations for tonight's dinner…"

I exhaled with relief that all was well, and then I noticed Mey-Rin in the bushes with the camera. _Don't tell me this was all some harebrained scheme in order to get Sebastian to stop for a few seconds! _I seethed internally. _GODDAMMIT CIEL! _

"You could have just ordered me to let you take it," Sebastian suddenly said. We both turned to him Ciel with surprise, and me with realisation. _Oh yeah,_ I tapped my chin thoughtfully. _We could have actually just done that. _Sebastian bowed slightly. "Whatever you order me to do, I will do right away."

_Still, _I thought as I rested back on my haunches and smiled slightly._ That takes the fun out of everything._

I stared at the earl with amusement at the shocked look on his face. _You should have known he would know, Ciel. I wonder if he'll admit everything or deny it all._

Ciel chose the path of denial, just as I had expected. "Tch," he scoffed, looking away. "What are you talking about?" Sebastian smirked wider.

"Who knows?" I smiled, helping Ciel to his feet. "Come on, let's go back inside."

oOo

After dinner, Bard approached me to ask if I wanted to see the picture being developed. "Dontcha want ta see who your butler cares for most of all?" He taunted me.

I glared at the blond man. "Okay, one, he is not _my _butler," I snapped. "And I will throw you over the balcony if you suggest it again."

"Geez," he smirked. "You're even as violent as he is."

"Over the balcony," I repeated warningly. "I can, and I will. Remember that. And two, I feel like there are some things about Sebastian that aren't meant to be known. I have been through way too much today and I just want to curl up somewhere with Morgan and sleep until the next apocalypse. Or until tomorrow morning."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself," he walked away. I watched him go and then went back to washing the dishes. I walked out of the kitchen a few minutes later and headed for Ciel's study to tell him goodnight. Suddenly, I was very nearly barrelled over by Pluto.

You know, I feel like that dog…person…whatnot, really has a thing for knocking me over.

"Hey, Pluto, no running in the house!" I crouched down in front of him. He smelled like fire, and smoke. "Pluto, did you breathe fire in the house?" I scratched him under the chin. He yipped in response and panted happily. I chuckled. "What poor soul did you choose to incinerate this time?" I wondered.

"I'm sure you can guess." I looked up. Sebastian smirked and knelt down beside me in front of Pluto. "Well done," he patted Pluto on the head. "I suppose dogs are useful in their own way," he acquiesced, handing Pluto a dog treat. The devil dog snatched the treat and began chomping down on it happily. "Sleep outside tonight," he told Pluto.

I arched an eyebrow. "Is it really that important to you that Ciel not know who you care for most?" I asked him curiously. "I didn't even think demons could even care for anything."

He shrugged and got to his feet. I followed suit. "We don't love like humans," he explained. "But all demons have something like a soul mate. A particular being that they can…_care_ for, so to speak." His gaze fixed on me and I felt a bit nervous standing there under his gaze. "Most demons rarely find their mate, though."

I nodded and looked away. "Oh, well…that sort of makes sense," I scratched the back of my head and took a step back, away from him. "I should…uh…say goodnight to Ciel…" I shifted backwards some more along the wall, and reached for the door of the study. Sebastian did nothing to stop me and, instead, followed me into the study.

Ciel was sitting asleep at his chair, chin propped up on one fist. Sebastian sighed. "Sleeping out here like this," he muttered. "How sloppy. Now the number of unnecessary jobs has increased because of this uselessly elaborate prank."

"Hey," I defended. "It wasn't _all_ useless. We did get a picture in the end, but you sent Pluto to incinerate it!"

Sebastian smirked at me. "I don't know why you're defending him," he commented. "You _are_ going to have to help clean it up."

I glowered at him. "Dammit," I huffed. "Well, Ciel must have been really tired," I shrugged, leaning over him. I brushed a finger through his hair gently. "We should get him to bed…"

"We should," Sebastian agreed, his eyes on something else. I followed his gaze. He was staring at the mystical camera on the table. "Or…we could do something much more interesting before that." I looked at the camera, and then I looked back at him with a wide smirk of my own.

"Let's do it."

Outside, Pluto howled.

oOo

"Oh Ciel," I hugged the young, blushing earl tightly over his breakfast. "I'm so glad you love me just as much as I love you! It's so nice to know that you appreciate my love even though you're so mean to me anyway!"

"_Gack!_" he choked slightly, flailing his arms. "Thalia, stop it! You know you were only in the picture because you were standing there!"

He was right. Still… "A girl can dream anyway!" I cheered happily. "I love you too!"

Ciel gasped for air in my embrace, and then scowled at me. "Well, what about you? Sebastian was in the picture. That means that the person you care most for is him, right?"

I stopped hugging Ciel and scowled at him when he smirked right back at me. I could see Sebastian smirking at us from behind the earl. "Or it could be you," I reminded him in a sing-song voice. "He is _your_ butler."

Ciel blanched, which caused me to smirk triumphantly. "Whatever the case is," Ciel glared back at me. "One of us cares for that soul-sucking demon a lot."

We both turned at the same time and stared at Sebastian for a moment, and then stared each other silently for a few more seconds. During this time, neither of us said a word. Ciel opened his mouth to say something. "It's not me!" I yelled loudly before he could say anything, and then I beamed cheerfully and skipped out of the room.

I heard screams from outside and spotted Pluto chasing Bard and Mey-Rin up and down the gardens. _Everyone here is crazy and mysterious,_ I grinned as Pluto blew a plume of fire at the running figures. _I guess that's why I fit in so easily!_


	9. Winter Wonderland

**Me: So, yeah, I've started on the missing arc. Ugh, I don't even understand how I managed to skip over three whole episodes**

**Thalia: Maybe you were just excited? *is suddenly carried away by a dark shape***

**Me: Maybe...anyway, here we go. This mistake means I'm going to have to do a lot of remodelling so that everything goes back to flowing. Thalia, can you do the disclaimer? Thalia? *looks around* Huh, she was just here a second ago...anyway! I don't own Black Butler!**

**Winter Wonderland**

A week had passed since the whole insanity with the mysterious camera (which Ciel sold promptly at an auction). The days had gotten colder, and the snow had begun to fall more steadily and with greater weight.

Anyway, as I was saying, a week later I received a package in the mail, which was surprising as I didn't know really know anyone, and no one outside the mansion really knew me. All I knew was that, when I went outside to get the mail, there was a brown paper parcel with my name on it.

I walked back into the house and dropped the other letters on the table in the parlour. "Huh…" I hummed as I pulled the strings of my parcel apart just as Sebastian came to get Ciel's mail. "I wonder what it…oh shit," I immediately covered up the contents of the package and turned my back on Sebastian so he couldn't see it. _Damn that evil, Chinese bastard!_ I cursed his very being from the bottom of my heart. _I knew I should have killed him when I had the chance!_

Sebastian looked interested at my reaction. He smirked. "Oh, what was in the package, Thalia?" He asked, leaning closer so he could see over my shoulder. I immediately curled over further to block his view of what was in my arms.

What was it, really, you ask? Well, if you must know, inside the package was that dress Lau had wanted me to wear before, when he'd wanted me to be the one to seduce Sebastian. The dress looked a lot like Ran Mao's dress, only it was silver, with black vines and red flowers. The outfit even came with a pair of sheer, black sock and shoes. How he had my size, I'll never know. _Well, _I snarled internally, _he does dabble in prostitutes. _

Sebastian cocked his head to the side and smiled down at me mockingly. "Your reaction has piqued my interest," he leaned closer. "Now I'm curious. Won't you tell me what it is?"

I paled. I would chop off all my hair before I let Sebastian see that dress of my own volition. The sheer embarrassment I would suffer would kill me. I'd sooner burn it. "No way!" I pulled the brown paper further around the fabric and pushed it behind me. "Besides," I scowled up at him. "It's rude for a man to interrogate a lady about her belongings."

He arched an eyebrow, probably thinking the same thing I was. _If I'm a lady, then you're an angel. _I snickered under my breath at that thought. "Maybe," he acquiesced. "But it is my duty to know all the going's on in the house…" he began to reach for me.

"Sebastian." He turned at the voice. I leaned a little way to the side and spotted Ciel standing in the middle of the stairs, his one visible eye narrowed in obvious displeasure. "May I have a word with you?"

Sebastian frowned, before finally removing himself from my personal bubble. I heaved a quick breath of relief, and ran to the kitchen to find Bardroy. "Bard!" I yelled, and then I sweatdropped when he yelped and dropped the unlit stick of dynamite in his hand. "The hell man?"

He blushed angrily. "Just wanted to practise my cooking skills," he grumbled, kicking the stick under the counter and out of sight. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, during which he stared at the ground and I just stared at him. Finally he coughed and faced me. "What do you want anyway?" He folded his arms and glared at me.

I shook my head a few times. "I'm going to need a bottle of gasoline, some gunpowder and several matchsticks. Okay, go!" I made a shooing motion with my free hand. The other hand was occupied holding the cursed dress out of sight. Bard just stared at me blankly. I sighed. "Come on, it's not that hard. I just need several highly flammable objects!" I made another shooing motion. "Like now. Right now."

He blinked at me, face still blank, and then he sighed and walked away. "_You crazy woman_," I heard him mutter under his breath as he disappeared to, hopefully, get the things I had asked for.

I stashed the dress in my room, shoving it under my pillow so I'd remember to burn it before I went to bed. _I wonder what Ciel wanted to talk to Sebastian about. _Whatever it was, it had to be important. Unless, of course, Ciel just wanted to order him to bake something sweet. Something Ciel and I had in common: we both had an obsessive love for sweet treats.

Sebastian still hadn't come out of Ciel's study by the time I came out of my room. I paused in front of the door and debated walking in. Ciel would let me. Unless, he wouldn't, and he had called Sebastian away for something that didn't concern me.

I wondered if this was another case in the making. Yes, sure I had only been present during one case, and I hadn't been very helpful (apart from occasionally knocking a few people unconscious), but I did want to be present to help take care of Ciel. For all his bravado and calm, _I-don't-give-a-flying-fuck_ attitude, he was still a child and he didn't know how to take care of himself.

I exhaled a puff of depressed air, and made my way downstairs. _I should probably find something to do. _Sebastian had already cleaned up the house. I wasn't in the mood to talk to Mey-Rin at the moment. I couldn't even go outside and play with Pluto, since it was snowing and really cold outside. Even Pluto had taken to blowing plumes of fire at sporadic intervals to keep himself warm.

Therefore, I was left with nothing else to do but roam through the mansion like some dual-toned ghost.

Finally, I mooched into the empty kitchen and dropped down onto one of the chairs. _Maybe I should just go disturb Ciel and Sebastian,_ I pouted at nothing. _At least then I'll have _some_ entertainment. _I reached across the table and began to play with the hilt of a small knife that had been left there. It was rather sharp, almost dagger-like.

I twirled it absentmindedly; point down on the table, the wooden hilt between my thumb and forefinger. I smiled, remembering the times when I used to be able to use knives like pencils and paintbrushes. _Are my skills still as sharp?_ Probably not. it had been about five months since I'd lost my knives while running from a group of armed thugs.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to test. At any rate, it would give me something to do for a while. I stood up and aimed for a spot on the wall. The small knife felt uncomfortable in my hands, and it was unsuitable for throwing. Still, I managed to only be about two inches off. I ripped the knife out of the wall and aimed again.

"What are you doing?" I yelped and nearly stabbed myself in the foot when he knife dropped. Sebastian was standing beside me, eyes narrowed. His eyes darted from the knife, to the thin cut in the wall, and then back to me.

I exhaled a sigh of relief. "Geez, don't scare me like that," I grabbed the knife from the ground. "I take it that you and Ciel are done with your little chat?" I twirled the knife carefully, mindful of the sharp edge. To think, I used to be able to do this with hardly a care. Ah well, I'd just practice again. "And, if you must know, I was practicing my knife throwing."

The side of his mouth turned up slightly in a small smirk. "Something like that," Sebastian arched an eyebrow curiously. "You never mentioned that you could throw knives though," he remarked.

I shrugged. "I don't think it ever came up. I lost my old knives a few months ago, so I've been out of practice. I can still do it, but I don't have the right kind of knives."

Sebastian hummed lightly, and then he made his way over to me. He plucked the knife from my hands. "Still," he frowned, staring at the edge of the razor. "I don't think I appreciate you using the kitchen utensils as weapons. You might spoil them."

I stared at Sebastian blankly. Something about having an ancient, malevolent being standing in front of me worrying about kitchen knives suddenly struck me as insanely funny, and I began to cackle with laughter. Sebastian stared at me quietly, and then he sighed resignedly. I laughed even harder at that, so hard that I ended up on the floor gasping for breath between spurts of laughter.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, and then he suddenly turned on his heels and began to leave the kitchen. "Well then, if you aren't interested in the case the young master is currently investigating, then you don't have to come with us."

It was enough to make me sober up instantly. "New case?" I sat up. "What kind of case?" But he wasn't listening to me, he was already walking down the corridor towards the front door. "Oi, I said I'm coming!" I jumped up and ran after him. "Sebastian, don't you dare leave me behind!"

* * *

oOo

* * *

The carriage dropped us off on the outskirts of what appeared to be a giant fair. There were tents cooing around the frozen lake and beyond. People were milling about, laughing, talking, eating things they had bought from the tents. Children were chasing each other up and down and giggling in the snow. There were game tents where you could win prizes for completing tasks.

All in all, it was a wonderland for me. Still, I kept my excitement in check and moved behind Ciel. "I see," Sebastian hummed. "The Ice Top Market is truly something." In the old days , I could have pulled in some easy money in such a crowd. People with good spirits and plenty of money were always happy to watch a cute, sprightly street urchin performing some fancy acrobatics

We passed by a statue of the queen. I was sure I saw something glinting on her finger, but I passed it off as some ice. I turned to face Ciel when he spoke. "The Frost Fair takes place next to London bridge, on the frozen Thames River," he said. He stopped walking and eyed all the tents. "The last time it was this grand was back in 1814, apparently."

I pulled my coat tighter around myself. It was black with white fluff around the face and hems, like Ciel's. The coat was actually brand new, and because I had never owned anything so pretty, I was nearly terrified of wearing it and then ruining it in some way. I spotted a tent advertising some really cute teddy bears as prizes. "Is it wrong that I really want to play one of those?"

Ciel sighed, and yanked me by my wrist. "Pay attention Thalia," he snapped. I pouted, but followed obediently.

"Step right up!" We passed by a man standing in front of a tent full of random, second-hand looking knick-knacks. "Step right up! We've got bargains to send Jack Frost flying! How about it?"

Ciel paused in front of his tent and stared inside. I scoffed. "Why does everything inside that tent look so substandard?" I muttered quietly. Ciel smirked, and I knew he agreed with me.

"All the wares in that tent look shoddy," he agreed. "If the ice freezes over like this next year, we could clean up nicely with a stall. Nothing as careless as this, though. Take that for example," he pointed at something with his cane. I followed his gaze to a worn-looking, but relatively dust-free toy model of Noah's Ark.

The owner of the tent turned to us with a wide, salesperson smile. "You have a good eye, young nobleman!" He gestured to the boat. "This is a special item made by the Funtom Company when it was still a small craft shop."

Ciel frowned derisively. "What a total fake," he said, but not so loudly that the man could hear. "The Phantom Ark was made by the most skilled craftsmen, and it was extremely rare and valuable because only three were ever made. Ever since the mansion burned down, even the current company doesn't have the real item anymore. There's no way that would be a real one."

I stared at the ark in the shop curiously. When I was younger, and my mom was still alive, sometimes she used to take walks with me on her days off. We would walk to the park and buy crepes, and eat them standing beside the park fountain. Then she would show me how to fold paper boats and let them float across the water. I always hoped that they would float forever, but that was just a silly childish fantasy. Slowly, the water would seep into the paper, weighing it down until it disappeared under the surface.

Because I was so into my own thoughts, I didn't hear what Sebastian said. I did hear his last statement though. "_It is a most arrogant tale._"

I blinked and turned to him curiously. "What-?"

"You!" The three of us turned to stare at the man that had come up to us. His face looked vaguely familiar to me, but then I had seen a lot of policemen in my lifetime. They were all beginning to look the same to me now.

Ciel smirked. "I suppose if one of Scotland Yard's detectives has enough time to come here then London must really be at peace."

He scowled at Ciel. "I don't!" he snapped. "I'm on duty right now!"

"Really?" Ciel turned back to him. "Well then make sure you work hard enough to earn your keep, on behalf of her majesty and the people of London." He spun on his heel and we began to walk in the opposite direction.

I suddenly heard footsteps behind us. "Wait, there's something I would like to ask you!" He called. Even though he wasn't speaking to me, those words had been said to me by police officers before. It probably didn't mean the same thing for Ciel, but for me it meant _we're going to detain you indefinitely and, if you don't play nice, we'll throw you in jail. No one's going to miss one street rat._

Okay, so maybe those exact words had been said to me and I was just reacting from a bad experience, but react I would. Which was why, when the inspector's hand reached for Ciel's shoulder, I promptly slapped it away. "Sorry," I smiled at him sweetly. "But could you not do that, please?"

Sebastian was smirking, like what I had done was amusing. "Our young master is very fragile," he said. "So we would appreciate it if you didn't lay your hands on him so forcefully."

The inspector frowned at both of, especially at me. "Who is this?" He asked Ciel. "I have seen your butler before many times, but not her." I beamed cheerily at the man as Ciel glanced at me blankly.

He sighed. "This is Thalia," he said. "Thalia, this is inspector Aberlain of Scotland Yard." I waved at him cheerfully. "If you want to talk," Ciel faced the inspector. "Then I suppose it would be best if we found somewhere more comfortable to sit."

Luckily, there was a large restaurant situated rather close by. It reminded me a lot of Lau, I decided, eying the colours and decorations and the scantily-clad serving girls. I remembered the present still in my room, and shuddered. Sebastian gave me a strange look, but I didn't say anything to him.

Sebastian held the tent entrance aside for Ciel, and then the young earl turned to us. "Wait outside for me," he ordered.

I groaned. "What?" I folded my arms inside my coat. "But it's freezing out here!" He arched an eyebrow at me like _am I supposed to care?_ I sighed. "Do I at least get a cookie?"

"No." The curtain swung shut, and then it was just me and Sebastian. How more awkward could things get? I sighed and turned to lean against the somewhat firm surface of the tent. I could sense Sebastian staring at me, and I tried to shrink back further into my coat.

He smirked. "I must say, the image of you trying to hide from me is rather endearing." I bristled at that, and turned to him with a scowl. "Oh, you're not hiding anymore?" He came closer to me, eyes lighting up as he stopped right in front of me. "That's fine then. I enjoy it when you put up a fight."

I had to look nearly straight up to make eye contact with him. "You are a very strange creature, did you know that?" I folded my arms across my chest and glared up at him defiantly. "Also, I am not putting up a fight for your entertainment!"

"But I can't help but find it entertaining anyway," he suddenly tipped my chin up with a single, gloved finger. "Your defiance never fails to amuse me, dear Thalia." I could feel warmth stealing into my cheeks with his close proximity and the endearment. I stared up at Sebastian with wide eyes.

_The heck? No, nope, bad idea, this is a fucking bad idea! Brain to body, brain to body: abort, abort!_

Unfortunately, my body couldn't seem to move, except for my lips which let out a strangled gasp when he dipped a single finger into the top of my coat and brushed it against the underside of my chin and the top of my throat. "Stop it!" I finally snapped, though my voice caught on the first word. "We're in public, you pervert!"

He raised a single eyebrow. "If you don't like it, you can stop me at any time, Thalia," he told me. _Oh yeah, I can do that can't I?_

As I was trying to get my arm to move and punch Sebastian in the face, at that moment, I spotted a game stall close by with very fluffy toys as prizes. My eyes widened and I promptly forgot Sebastian was practically molesting me in public. "Toys!" I tore myself away from him and ran to the tent with wide, sparkling eyes.

I heard a sigh, and then a low mutter from Sebastian, and then he was beside me as I gazed up at all the toys the game had to offer. The man in charge was rather young, maybe a few years older than I was. He turned to me with a charming smile. "Well hello pretty lady," he flirted. "Care to play? Only a penny a toss!"

Normally when people flirt with me I either get really flustered, or I shoot them down like a moose during hunting season. This time, I did neither, because I was too fascinated by all the toys on display, so all I did was nod enthusiastically and hand him a penny. I was also too distracted to notice the highly annoyed aura emanating from Sebastian. I think my sheer happiness acted like a shield in that respect.

The man winked at me, and grabbed three balls from below the front. "All you have to do is knock down those stacks," he pointed to three stacks of neatly balanced tins. "Knock 'em all down, and you get a prize!" I nodded and lined myself up. I was suddenly glad for my knife throwing skills because there was no way I could miss.

I threw the first ball. I didn't miss, but the tins barely budged. "No way!" I stared. I used up the other two balls on the first stack.

The man in front made an apologetic sound. "Ah, too bad pretty one," he smiled at me. "Care to go again?" I frowned, and lifted my shoulders in an apologetic shrug.

"I would," I told him. "But I don't have that much money on me." I blinked when he suddenly grabbed my hand in his own and brought it closer. _Then_ I started to feel Sebastian's evil aura. It was almost tangible, like smoky black tentacles. His eyes were about a second away from glowing.

The guy was either too stupid, or too cocky to care. "You don't need to pay with money," he smirked at me, and then brought my hand up to his lips. "You can pay with yourself…"

Just before his lips could touch my skin, Sebastian grabbed me and yanked me away from him. "I'd greatly appreciate it if you didn't lay your filthy hands on her," he snarled politely (is such a thing possible? Well he managed it anyway). My eyes widened at the tone of his voice. The arm around my waist was firm and possessive. "Rather," he smiled darkly. "Let _me_ have a go."

Five minutes later, we walked away from the stall laden with fluffy treasures. Well, _I _was laden with fluffy treasures. Sebastian had won me two cute teddy bears, and had also left several ball-shaped holes in the back of the tent from the force of his throws.

I smiled at him. "I should have known that game was rigged," I said. "I mean, I'm pretty strong. For it not have fallen over on my first try should have made me suspicious."

Sebastian smirked down at me. "Are you so confident of your abilities?" He asked. I nodded firmly. It's important to always know your capabilities beforehand. Modesty can sometimes be just as bad as overconfidence. "Still," his smirk widened. "I was quite pleased with the way you spoke to him before you left." I sweatdropped and smiled nervously as I remembered.

_I stared at the man with a sweet smile, holding my newly won toy to my chest. "You fucking piece of cheating trash," I smiled at him. "If I ever see you again I will cut off your fingers one by one and make you eat them, and then I will gut you like a fish and strangle your last, living breaths from your dying body with your intestines. Do you hear me?"_

For some reason, my anger sometimes came out as being scarily sweet instead of actually looking angry. It works for me because, as I am short and female, men didn't seem to be so intimidated when I actually shout. "Can we move on from that? Anyway, thanks for the toys," I thanked him. "I'm really grateful."

Sebastian smiled and leaned down so that his face was right in front of mine. "How grateful are you?" He asked me, letting his voice drop seductively. I _eep_-ed and held up one of my teddies as a shield to cover my face.

"Not _that _grateful!" I snapped at him from behind the soft fur of the stuffed animal.

I heard him chuckle, and then a hand landed on the top of my head. I lifted my gaze to Sebastian's curiously. Before I could say anything, or even ask why he was patting my heat like I was one of his cats, the entrance of the tent swung aside to reveal Ciel, Aberlain and, surprisingly, Lau. I suddenly remembered the dress I had received that morning and immediately snarled at him.

He smiled back at me obliviously. "Ah, did you get my present yet, little maid?" _If I was not laden down by stuffed toys, I would strangle you for that._

Ciel stared at the stuffed toys in my arms with blank confusion. "Do I want to know?"

"Sebastian won these for me!" I told him happily. "But I'll let you have one if you want! Look, you can have this one. It's blue!" He eyed the blue teddy bear like he wasn't sure what to do with it. I sighed and hugged my own teddy bear to my chest. "You know, you're supposed to cuddle it," I pointed out. "Not stare at it like it's an undetonated bomb."

The earl glared at me. "We have business elsewhere," he said. We stashed the teddy bears in the carriage we had come in for safe keeping, and because no one would take Ciel seriously if he walked around with a super cute teddy bear.

Finally, we stopped in front of a plain beige and patchwork tent. There was a coffin on one side of the entrance, and a headstone on the other. Across the top ran the sign _Undertaker_. I blinked. "Why is there a mortuary in the middle of the fair?" I asked no one in particular.

Aberlain glanced at me, and then back at Ciel. "Apparently, quite a lot of people have died of frostbite so he decided to set up shop."

"In the middle of the fair?" I arched an eyebrow. _What a depressing reminder. Whoever this Undertaker character is,_ I glanced at Ciel's resigned face. _Ciel and Sebastian aren't exactly all that fond of him. _

I placed one hand on my hip as the inspector walked forward. "Since I especially permitted you to tag along, please wait here outside." I exhaled an amused breath through my nose when he fell headlong into the tent, apparently having forgotten that it wasn't entirely solid.

"How reckless," Ciel said. I hummed my agreement.

"That is the privilege of youth," Lau smiled. A moment passed. "So, where is this?"

A vein popped in Ciel's head. "The Undertaker's Shop!" He snapped. "We met him during the Jack the Ripper case!" I remembered that time: a chain of brutal murders involving prostitutes. It was the one time that I was afraid to run around late outside by myself. "He'll in tears in a moment," Ciel said. "Sebastian, get ready to-!"

At that moment, a sound like a thousand hyenas laughing erupted from the tent. The coffin fell, and the sign collapsed from the sheer force of the sound. "What was that?" I stared at the tent with wide eyes. Ciel pushed open the door of the tent to reveal a semi-dark room. There was another man in the room. He was laughing on the ground, a wide smile on his face. He had long grey hair, and wore a dark robe and top hat. There was a scar on his face, and I couldn't see his eyes at all.

All in all, he looked rather creepy, yet I didn't feel like I needed to be so vigilant, just slightly wary. He seemed just a bit nuts.

The Undertaker pointed at Aberlain between giggles. I noticed that his nails were incredibly long, and painted black. "You definitely picked the wrong profession, inspector~!" His voice was curiously lilting, like he was about to burst out laughing any second. "As a comedian, you would have been world-renowned!" He giggled harder.

Ciel stared at Aberlain. "Just what did you do?"

"I-I don't know!" The poor man looked so confused. "I just started talking the way I normally do!" _Oh, well, then that kind of makes sense._ I giggled quietly to myself, which drew the Undertaker's attention to me.

"Ah," he stared at me with that same, wide smile. Why didn't I get the same feelings of caution around him as I did when I was around Lau? "And who might you be, miss?" Even though I couldn't see his eyes, I could tell that he was staring at me, taking me in from top to bottom.

I waved. "I'm Thalia," I told him. "Wow, I've never met a mortician before. How many dead bodies do you normally get down here? Do you stitch them up like patchwork dolls?"

"Mmm," his smile widened. "You have quite a curious maid here, earl. I quite like her~." I grinned happily, and then sweatdropped at Sebastian's evil aura radiating behind me. _Calm the hell down, Sebastian._

Ciel slammed his hands down on the table. "We don't have time for pleasantries!" he snapped. "Tell us about the ring. The one that the body you disposed off this morning was supposed to have!" The Undertaker was still giggling quietly to himself as Ciel spoke.

"There's a possibility that it was buried around the area that it was found in," Aberlain added. "I implore you, on the behalf of all the good citizens of London such as yourself, please assist us with the investigation."

The Undertaker, who looked like he had almost stopped laughing, suddenly gave a short bark of laughter at that statement. "I have been greatly impressed by you, inspector," he turned to face us. "I'll tell you. The ring is..."


	10. On Thin Ice

**Thalia: *is cuddling Ciel* Aw, you're so cute Ciel!**

**Ciel: WTF? Get off me woman!**

**Thalia: I don't wanna~ *tries to kiss cheek closest to her***

**Ciel: Sebastian!**

**Sebastian: *appears* what is it, young master? *spots Thalia and smirks***

**Thalia: Goddammit! *Runs away***

**Me: Uh…I don't own Black Butler! SEBASTIAN, PUT MY OC DOWN!**

**On Thin Ice**

Three minutes later, we were standing right next to the ice statue of the queen that we had passed by earlier. The Undertaker pointed at one of her folded fingers.

"See, it's right there~."

On her finger glinted a beautiful blue stone that very much resembled the stone in Ciel's ring, except this one looked thinner. It was set in a gold band, unlike Ciel's silver one. Normally, sparkly things attracted me, but the ring seemed to be giving off an aura that told me to stay away. The same way a child wants to play with flames, I wanted to touch it, but something told me not to.

I folded my arms under my coat. "Huh," I said. "To think that it was right there in plain sight. Scotland Yard really needs detectives with better eyesight." Ciel snickered quietly at my statement.

"I suppose one of the ice sculptors here came across it while building," Lau suggested. "And decided to make use of it in the sculpture. How creative!"

Aberlain ordered two of the policemen two move the statue, but before they could lift it off its pedestal, a voice cut through the air. "What do you think you're doing, you ignorant whelp?" A man with a suitably Santa Clause-like appearance was glaring at us furiously. Behind him were three other people that were also glaring at us, and one man a little to the side.

He was handsome, with spiky blonde hair. He was also holding a rose, which he appeared to be sniffing. "This holy maiden will be presented to the winner," he kissed the rose, and wagged a finger at us. "You mustn't touch her."

Beside me, Ciel froze up and developed goosebumps. "Viscount Druitt!" My eyes narrowed with barely repressed fury.

How did I know the Viscount? Well, he was a seller of black market goods, namely female slaves. The girls were either sold whole, or in pieces. I was about to be one of them once before I escaped. I wondered if he recognised me. My hair was hidden by my cloak hood, so I highly doubted it.

I scowled at Aberlain. "Why is he here?" I snapped. "I thought he was in jail for human trafficking!"

Aberlain didn't look any more pleased than I did. "He was," he replied. "He got out early for good behaviour." I snorted. _More like he bribed the law to let him go. Money does talk after all. Money and social standing._

I glanced at Ciel. "So, what's your problem with the Viscount?" I quizzed.

He shuddered. "You don't want to know." I glanced back at Sebastian, who was hiding his laughter behind his glove. "Anyway," Ciel stared at the men and women. "Are those the contest's judges? Why is he one of them?"

"Money and good looks will get you a long way," I shrugged.

Aberlain tried to reason with the judges. "I'm sorry, but Scotland Yard will have to take this statue into its possession now. It's very important evidence!"

"No!" Santa Clause snapped. "Even if you _are_ from Scotland Yard, we will not allow anyone to have their way with the Frost Fair! It is the peak of excitement for the townsfolk." Because, apparently, ice fairs and games were more important than legal police work. London really needed to work in its priorities.

I resisted the urge to shudder when Druitt spoke again. "Beauty is something to be adored," he said. "Are you trying to force shame upon this beautiful maiden?"

"Like you're one to talk," Ciel and I deadpanned at the same time, and then we stared at each other in surprise.

"If you want her," Druitt smiled. "Just bring out enough beauty to satisfy her, and she'll be yours."

Santa Clause gave a pleased nod. "Well said, Viscount Druitt," he said. "As expected of one who loves fine art, beauty and cuisine." _And selling people in the black market._ He suddenly pointed at us. "It is as he says: if you want the statue, then you must win the contest!"

"I see," Ciel smiled. "I can agree with that. The ring will belong to the one who wins the contest. It's simple and clean," he smirked at Aberlain. "I will obtain that ring."

"You can't!" The inspector gaped. "That's a stolen object! And it is a piece of invaluable evidence in a line of kidnappings of young girls!" He then clapped his hand over his mouth, eyes wide at what he had just revealed.

I arched an eyebrow with a smile. "Oh? No wonder Scotland Yard wants it so badly."

He glared at me. "Even so," he said. "Anyone who owns the ring suffers a brutal fate. It is a cursed stone, and yet you still want it?"

Ciel looked up at him with a shadowed smile. "Cursed, huh?" He lifted the hand that held his ring to his chin. "Then it really does fit me."

The Undertaker spoke up at that moment. "That reminds me," he lilted. "Your ring also has a beautiful blue stone, doesn't it earl?" Ciel nodded. "Then you should be careful, earl," his voice dropped. "Diamonds are hard, but for all their hardness, they are fragile. If you overexert yourself too much, you may shatter."

_But diamonds can take so much pressure before they crack,_ I thought. _They are beautiful, and hard, and valuable even after they are broken into shards. There is beauty in every piece, although they may never become whole again. And, even if you stick them all back together again, you will still see the thin, spider-like fissures. It will never be the same._

I realised that I was stroking my ring under my coat. Because of its value, and my current station, I had taken to wearing it on a chain around my neck. I usually had it tucked under my collar and out of sight of thieves and probing eyes. I lowered my hands back to my sides and focused back on the conversation.

"This body and ring are both things that have shattered and been revived," Ciel said. "Like I would fear them shattering after everything I have been through," he turned to Sebastian. "Win the contest, Sebastian."

The butler smiled and bowed. "Yes, my lord." _Yeah, because of course you can do this. Why not? _Sometimes, his overwhelming ability to do pretty much everything really grated on my nerves.

I jerked when I suddenly realised that he was staring at me. "Uh, I think I'll just stay with Ciel," I stepped behind the young earl, almost like I could hide behind him. "Yeah, I think that would be best..."

Ciel stared at Sebastian, and then back at me, and then he smirked. "Oh, that isn't necessary, Thalia," he said to me. "Sebastian may need your assistance." I stared at the young earl blankly. _Sebastian may need my assistance? What are you, nuts?_ "Why don't you go with him?"

_NO! DON'T DO THIS TO ME CIEL! I THOUGHT WE HAD A BOND! _"Excellent idea, young master." I yelped as Sebastian picked me up and threw me over one shoulder and proceeded to walk away while I whined quietly. I could see the confused look on Aberlain's face, and the amused smiles of the other three.

I groaned quietly. "Can you put me down?" I asked him when Ciel was out of sight. "I promise not to run away. Honest." _LIES! I'M GOING TO SPRINT FOR MY LIFE THE SECOND MY FEET TOUCH THE SNOW!_

Either Sebastian knew me too well, or he could read minds, but he just chuckled and continued walking with me to the place where the contestants were meant to sign up. There he put me down. _Now's my chance! _Then he grabbed my wrist and smiled beatifically at the man in front. "We're here to sign up for the Ice Sculpture contest," he said.

A white breath of air puffed out of my mouth when I sighed. "You know," I glanced pointedly at my wrist, which was still shackled in his grip. "You do not have to grip me so tightly. Even if I ran, there would be no point. You'd just catch me in the next ten seconds."

"True," he pulled me onstage with the other contestants and let go of me. I rubbed my wrist and folded my arms across my chest. My gaze slid to the side and I eyed the men beside us. They looked shady and impatient for some reason. I faced out again as the announcer came onstage and stood in front of us.

"And now," the bearded announcer waved a hand at us with a large smile. "We will commence the traditional Frost Fair Ice Sculpture contest! The deadline is 3 p.m. Well then, begin!"

I followed Sebastian to the place where the other contestants were starting on their own sculptures. Lau and Ran Mao had also joined us, and the younger girl had started on the sculpture, and was drawing some stares from everyone around. _How is she not cold?_

"So…" I wandered up to Sebastian with my hands behind my back. "What are we building?"

He glanced down at me. "What am _I_ making," he corrected me. "You'll just get in the way, so just sit back and watch."

I scowled. "Then what the hell was the point of carrying me away?" I hissed up at him. "I wanted to stay with Ciel! You don't even need my help!" I wanted to kick him, or punch him, but I knew that wouldn't help. I sighed resignedly. "You know what? Fine. I'm gonna go sit there," I rolled a bunch of snow into a suitably large snowball-chair and plonked myself on top of it with my legs crossed. "There," I waved a hand at him. "Build the most spectacular ice sculpture ever."

Sebastian walked over to me and leaned down. My eyes widened as he took my hand in his, and brought it to his lips. "Yes, my lady." _It's like he amped up the flirting since the whole photograph thing!_

_Which reminds me,_ I watched Sebastian as he began darting around a patch of snow. The sculpture was beginning to rise out of the ground, smooth and gleaming. _What was on the back of my neck anyway?_ _He reacted pretty strangely back then. _I remembered the way he had started, and then tensed behind me.

_Maybe it's a particularly bad scar? _I didn't remember ever getting any scars on my neck. Maybe a few accidental ones when I scratched my neck too hard with my nails, but those were thin and disappeared quickly.

As I was contemplating this, a shadow fell over me. I looked up, fully expecting to see Sebastian standing above me. Instead, I came face to face with an unfamiliar looking man. He radiated charm, and looked as smooth as an oil slick. I arched an eyebrow at him and put on my most deadpan expression. "Can I help you?"

He must have thought I was just playing hard to get, because he became even more charming. "I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be having some problems with your sculpture." I glanced down at my snowball chair, and then back at him. "Such outdoor activities are beneath a lady of your beauty. Why don't you come with me and let me treat you to a drink?"

_What is it, Flirt With Thalia day? _I folded my arms across my chest. "No thanks," I snapped. "I'm fine here. Besides, I'm with that guy," I pointed behind him at Sebastian, who was gazing at us darkly from the more-than-half-formed sculpture. It looked like some sort of ship.

The guy frowned, and then smiled at me again. "He shouldn't have left you alone then," he cooed. "Come on," he suddenly grabbed my right hand tightly. I promptly coiled my left hand into a sharp fist and jabbed him under the arm. "Argh!" He released me, clutching his useless arm to his front.

I arranged myself back on the snowball, which was beginning to melt and conform to the shape of my body. "I'm not interested," I told him coolly. "So could you please leave me alone?" And leave he did, muttering something that was probably insulting under his breath. I crossed my legs and turned back to Sebastian, who looked pleased.

_I did not do this to make you happy! I did it because guys like that irritate me!_ I told him as much when he finished the ice sculpture (which was actually a giant icy remake of Noah's Ark) and came to stand beside me.

He just smiled. "I'm still pleased anyway," he replied. He pulled out his pocket watch and pressed the button to release the catch. "Hmm, we have five more minutes. We should get back now." I followed him back to the decorated, raised platform, along with the other contestants.

The bearded announcer stepped forward. "Now we shall commence the judging of the Ice Sculpting contest!" My arms folded over my chest and I rested my weight on one leg. "First up, the Joyful Scotland Yard team with their _Guardian of London_!"

The team was just Aberlain and two other policemen. They had made a sculpture of some surly looking guy with a lot of facial hair, which I assumed was their boss, and were saluting to it. It was actually quite nice, and realistic, but not what you'd call beautiful. As it was, they got very low marks for it.

"Next is the A Chinese Dress is Best in Miniskirt Form team," the announcer smiled nervously. "But uh, due to the sensitive matter of their sculpture..."

Lau and Ran Mao had sculpted a nude version of Ran Mao standing in a provocative pose. I assume she was nude, as two men were holding up pieces of cloth to cover up the uh...more private bits. I sweatdropped.

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are not able to judge it here." _There are children here! Why would you sculpt that?_ "Well, judges, please give your marks!" All the judges gave no marks, except for Druitt (no surprise there) who gave the risqué sculpture a ten.

Lau pouted. "Why couldn't they judge it?"

"There's no way they could show something like that in public!" Ciel yelled back at him.

He still looked a bit put out. "I think hiding it like that is more perverted."

_You would, _I rolled my eyes. Ciel exhaled beside me, and then glanced up at Sebastian. "You can win, right?"

"Of course," he replied. "Once you give an order, I exist but to fulfil it." I smirked a little at that, and then faced the stage again as our team was called out.

"Next up is the Queen's Woof Woof team," the presenter announced. I clapped a hand over my mouth to hide my giggles. Ciel turned and glared at Sebastian and me, as the former just smiled innocently.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" He asked, voice clipped.

"He did it!" I pointed at Sebastian quickly, still trying not to laugh. "That was his idea!"

"Their piece is entitled, _Noah's Ark_!" The man gestured to the side. There were gasps of awe as the large curtain was pulled aside to reveal a beautiful ice rendition of Noah's Ark riding on a cresting wave. The ice was smooth, gleaming, and perfect. I couldn't help being impressed, even though this was Sebastian. I patted him on the arm without looking at him. "This is amazing! Judges, please give your results!"

"Please wait one moment." I blinked and stared at Sebastian curiously. "You have not seen anything yet." _What is he going to do?_ Sebastian raised a hand and snapped his fingers. for a second, nothing happened, and then there was a sound of ice cracking as the roof of the ark cracked into two and fell apart neatly to reveal…

My eyes widened in shock. He had created a rising tower of animals, all perfectly formed and beautiful! I suddenly wanted to punch him in the face because _goddammit can you not do things so perfectly!?_

"I see!" Santa Clause (yeah, I'm still calling him that) yelled. "He made the joints in the roof weak so that, over time, they would melt and break away!"

Druitt was also getting excited, which just made me want to punch him in the face. "Oh!" He gasped. "Oh! God's rage! The only one to escape the blazing storm unscathed was Noah, leading his paired animals and waiting for the time of regeneration as they drifted upon the waves!"

_Calm yourself,_ I thought. "Young man, I am completely astounded!" Santa Clause said to Sebastian. "To be able to see such a high class ice sculptor…"

Sebastian faced him with an innocently amiable smile. "No, I'm just one hell of a butler." I glared at him. _Every time you say that, I get the urge to kick you._ As though he could sense my stare, he looked down at me, the smile turning to something more taunting.

"Well then, let the judging comme-!"

"Wait right there!" There were gasps as the crown turned in the direction of the prize statue. He was holding a gun in one hand and a cocky smirk on his face. "Sorry, but this ring belongs to us. We're going to have to take it back."

"What?" Aberlain's eyes widened. "But you're…!"

"That's right," the man grinned. "We're the bombing thief ring that's been the talk of the town recently," he pulled his jacket aside to reveal a belt of dynamite sticks. Behind him, two other men kicked down a barrel to reveal more dynamite. He held up a lighter and flicked it on. "I'll count down from ten. If you don't want to die, then get lost!" For a moment, no one moved. "Ten!"

The crowd suddenly went wild as everyone ran screaming from the obvious threat. Well, everyone except Ciel, Sebastian and me, but we were special. "Young master?" Sebastian asked.

"My orders haven't changed," Ciel replied to his unasked question. "Do it, Sebastian. Thalia will stay with me."

"Nine!""

Sebastian bowed. "Yes, my lord." I draped an arm around Ciel as Sebastian dashed off to do…whatever it was that he needed to do.

"Eight!"

Aberlain, who was guiding the panicked rush of people, suddenly spotted us. "Ciel, Thalia! What are you doing? Get out of here this minute!"

"Seven!"

Ciel barely spared him a glance. "If you want to run, then do so," he replied. "Don't pay any attention to us."

"Six!"

"Like I could do that!" Ciel turned to stare at Aberlain in surprise. "I became a police officer to protect the people!"

"Five!"

Ciel just smiled and shook his head. "What an idiot."

I sighed as he started running towards us. "That's a rather noble statement," I said to Ciel. "But there is bravery, and then there is naivety." _Because you cannot protect everyone, even if you try your best._ Aberlain was suddenly stopped in his tracks by a gunshot.

"Don't get one step closer," the thief snarled, and then he swung the gun around to where Ciel and I were. "I'm down to three," he smirked. "Are you kids really not gonna run?"

I shrugged. "We don't need to," Ciel told him coolly. The guy blinked, and then grunted as something knocked the gun right out of his hand with the majestic grace of a swan. Sebastian landed on the ice and swerved gracefully around the statue.

"What?" The other men gaped, and then quickly collected themselves and began shooting at Sebastian. Sebastian suddenly leaped into the air, still with the majestic grace of a swan, and performed a complicated looking jump.

"It's the legendary quadruple spin jump!" I heard Santa Clause gasp. _Alright, now he's just being a show-off._

"It's the gallant blackbird dancing upon a world of white and silver!" Druitt gushed. "Enchanted by that smirking face, ladies are overcome with delight and reach for those wings!"

Ciel and I shuddered, most likely for both similar and differs reasons, and then I pushed him behind me when a bullet ricocheted a foot from us. I flipped myself over to the shooting men. It wasn't that Sebastian couldn't dodge them, but their bullets were flying too haphazardly in their frustrated attempts to hit him. if Ciel got shot, I was going to bust some heads.

My knee connected with one in the stomach, and then I kicked the other one squarely in the chest. They fell, gasping and groaning in pain. "Ah!" I froze as Druitt began to gush again. "Her beautiful movements upon the ice," he said. "The graceful way she moves, it's like a dance with the falling snow!"

_Why do I feel so violated?_ I shuddered again, and then stepped on the hand of one of the guys reaching for his gun. Sebastian landed again and swerved towards me, neatly picking me up and carrying me bridal style in his arms. I sweatdropped as all the judges lifted their paddles to reveal ten marks: a full score. "I hate you," I muttered to him. I wasn't sure why I said it, but it made me feel better anyway.

He just smirked. "Of course you do, dear Thalia."

"Damn you, brat," the guy suddenly pulled out one of his dynamite and lit it. "He blown to smithereens then!" He chucked the stick at Ciel.

"Sebastian!" I didn't need to have said anything, as said butler skated over to Ciel and neatly plucked him out of the way. I looked up as Ciel as he was being held aloft by Sebastian in a grand show of balance. The dynamite exploded behind us, sending pieces of ice flying. Soon the ice began to crack and fracture.

"Sebastian!" Ciel yelled, and then he yelped as he was suddenly spun and thrown into the air.

"WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK?" I yelled at Sebatsian as Ciel soared through the air. "YOU CAN'T JUST _THROW _PEOPLE_!_" And then I found myself airborne as well. _Well fuck you too._ I twisted myself in mid-air and landed, feet-first, on the ice ark. Ciel sat up dazedly, and I checked him over for bruises.

He waved me away. "I'm fine, Thalia," he stood and straightened himself. At that moment, Sebastian landed beside us. The three of us turned to face the prow of the boat as the icy mist cleared and awed gasps rose up from the crowd of people on land. Druitt began to rant something, but I deliberately tuned him out.

Ciel folded his arms across his chest. "That was a rather rough method, wasn't it?" He asked Sebastian.

I snorted. "Rough? He freaking threw us across the Thames!"

Sebastian looked like he wanted to laugh. "I'm sorry," he inclined his head politely. "I just thought that the best course of action would be to rid myself of the excess baggage weighing me down."

Ciel scoffed. I stared at Sebastian blankly for a few seconds. "Did you just call me fat?" I asked. His eyes widened slightly.

"And so the Shard of Hope will rest at the bottom of the Thames river," Ciel stared down into the dark depths of the icy water.

"It will curse London," Sebastian noted.

I shrugged and folded my arms into my coat. "London is already pretty cursed as it is."

Ciel glanced at me briefly, and then looked away. "If it ended like that," he said. "It would show that was all there was to this town and country," he raised his hand and stared at the matching blue stone on his finger. "After all, we Phantomhives have always…"

I sighed, and looked up at the white-grey sky. _This day turned out to be more tasking than I bargained for._


	11. Disappearing Ladies

**I'M BACK! I still don't have internet, but my mom's office does so yeah. **

**I just want to clarify something, since some people may not be so clear on Thalia's appearance. She has red eyes, and white (not blonde) hair, with red highlights at the bottom. **

**Disappearing Ladies**

There hadn't been anymore cases since the incident with the ring. I had decided not to burn the dress Lau had gotten me, and had instead stashed it at the back of my cupboard. It was too pretty to burn, and seemed to offer far more movement than my maid dress (although I hadn't tried it on yet. I was too embarrassed to).

I also spent my time avoiding being alone with Sebastian. I had decided that if we had to be in the same room, someone else had to be there with us. Ciel was my first choice, but Bard, Mey-Rin and Finny would work too. Morgan would also work as I could throw her at Sebastian and watch him lose all interest in me as he focused his attention on my cat.

All in all, the weeks passed by calmly. We were getting close to Christmas now, I noted. That evening, all us servants (excluding Bard, who was being chewed out by Sebastian for blowing up one of the pots) were clearing the half-melted slush and dead leaves from the front of the country house. Finny and I were sweeping, while Mey-Rin was picking up the leaves and putting them in the wheelbarrow.

Finny sighed. I glanced at him curiously. "What's wrong, Finny?" I paused in my work. "You sound mildly depressed."

"Tomorrow is Ciel's birthday," he told me with a sad frown. "Why can't we celebrate it?"

"Wait, what?" My eyes snapped wide open in shock. "Tomorrow is Ciel's birthday!?" _I didn't even get him anything! Goddammit, I should have asked about this earlier!_ "Why _can't_ we celebrate it?" I frowned. "Ciel deserves to have a nice birthday!" _Especially since his whole life seems to be so vastly different from any other child's._

Mey-Rin pouted. "The young master doesn't like it," she replied. "Even though you're right…"

I frowned, and then blinked as the sound of horses and bells came from down the lane. There was a carriage making its way to the house, and out of one window popped the head of a cute looking girl with blonde hair in pigtails. She waved at us cheerfully. "Hello everyone!" She beamed. "I'm here!"

Her words did not seem to merit the reaction she got from the two other servants. "LADY ELIZABETH!" They screamed. I blinked at them as they both suddenly ran away, presumably to enter through the back door of the house.

The carriage drew to a stop in front of the house, and the door opened. The girl stepped down prettily, followed by her maid/companion, and then stared at me with wide eyes. "I've never seen you before," she gazed up at me. "Are you a new servant here?"

"Yes," I nodded. "My name is Thalia Hawthorne. I'm sorry, but I don't know yours."

She arranged herself importantly. "I am Lady Elizabeth Midford," she replied. _Well damn, that's a mouthful_. "You're really cute," she beamed up at me, and I felt myself smile a bit at the compliment. Elizabeth suddenly seemed to remember something, and she dashed ahead of us to the doors of the mansion, which she threw open like a tornado. "_Ciel!_"

When I entered the house, I nearly sniggered at the sight of the tiny little girl swinging Ciel around with so much excitement and joy that it was kind of funny. It was like he was a highly loved teddy bear. Sebastian was standing a little way away, smiling like this sort of thing happened often, but was still amusing to watch anyway.

She finally stopped spinning him around and placed something in his hand. On closer inspection, it appeared to be a small red box tied up with lighter red ribbon. "Look, I got you a present!" She beamed cheerfully. "Open it, quick, quick!"

Ciel blinked, recovering from his dizziness, and stared at the box in his palm bemusedly. Finally, he reached out a hand to undo the ribbon. Before he could though, Lizzy grabbed his hand and stared at it. Or, more specifically, she stared at his ring. "What? I thought I broke that!"

"Ah," Ciel glanced at the ring. "Sebastian fixed it."

"No way!" She looked confused and upset. "It was all cracked then! I don't even see any flaws!"

Sebastian smirked and placed a hand on his chest. "Such things are only natural for one-"

"For one who serves under the Phantomhives," Ciel finished for him impatiently. _So even Ciel gets pissed off with his smugness sometimes. _

The girl, Lizzy, Elizabeth, took a step back. "I see," she murmured. "Sebastian…" she looked down, apparently depressed.

"Lady Elizabeth," Sebastian spoke up after a moment. "What is in that box?" I glanced at the box in Ciel's hand curiously. He had pulled off the ribbon now, and was about to lift the lid. Elizabeth suddenly jerked to attention and waved her arms frantically to snatch the box back.

"This is uh…" she clutched it behind her back. "It's a secret!"

Ciel frowned. "Didn't you say you were going to give it to me?" He asked her.

She giggled nervously, and then winked coquettishly. "That was a _f-e-i-n-t~_," she sang.

"A feint?" Ciel repeated dubiously.

"A lady who tries to catch a man with gifts is no lady," she placed a hand over her mouth. "It would be most unseemly! Now, Paula, ring your bells!" The woman behind her promptly pulled out two bells from behind her back and rang them happily. "Well then," Elizabeth waved at us merrily. "Good day to you all!"

With that, they both ran out of the house, slamming the door shut behind them. The three of us stared after them with blank, bemused faces. "What just happened?" I wondered. "Noblewomen are weird."

"So what did she come over for anyway?" Ciel asked.

"Tomorrow is your birthday," Sebastian reminded him. "Maybe it had something to do with that." Ciel stiffened suddenly. "How about it, young master?" Sebastian continued. "Shall we hold a party? It looks as though there are others who wish to celebrate as well." He was, of course, referring to the other servants who were peeking out from behind one of the pillars.

I turned to Ciel when his head lowered a bit. "My birthday…"

His voice sounded so hollow. His eyes suddenly grew distant and sad. "Ciel…?" I reached out a hand to his shoulder, only for him to turn and walk away. "Ciel?"

"Ridiculous," he snapped. "Bring me tea in my room."

"Straight away." I folded my arms across my chest and frowned. _He obviously doesn't consider his birthday as something to be celebrated,_ I thought. _But why? Why wouldn't he want to be with the people who love him on that day? _

_Maybe something happened that makes him view it as a tragedy?_ I frowned at the thought. _But what could have happened?_

"My, my, you seem deep in thought." I jumped and spun around to face Sebastian, who had moved closer to me. "What are you thinking off?"

_I'm thinking off how I obviously doomed myself by allowing the two of us to be in the same place by ourselves. _"Uh, nothing…?" I took a nervous step backwards, only for him to take another step closer. And closer. And even closer. My back hit the banister of the stairs. "Uh…" _Quick brain, think of something! _I pointed somewhere behind him. "Look, it's Morgan!"

The second he turned his head, I was sprinting up the stairs like a cheetah. Luckily, he decided not to come after me. I stopped running once I was sure that he wasn't following me.

"Damn you, Sebastian," I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath. "Well, you're kind of already damned" _Stop talking to yourself you weirdo. _I sighed loudly, and straightened after I had managed to stop panting so hard.

I suddenly caught sight of myself in a hallway mirror that happened to be there. My collar was a bit dishevelled, and part of my braid was loosening. _I look a mess, _I frowned and straightened the neckline of my dress. Then I reached up and pulled my braid to the side and over my shoulder so I could undo it and redo it.

My fingers paused. There was something peeking out from behind my neck, something small and black curling just slightly over the skin of my throat. It looked like a tattoo, but I had never gotten any tattoos before. _Maybe it's a bruise?_ I twisted my head as far as it could go, but I couldn't get a proper look at it.

_Well, whatever it is,_ I decided, quickly braiding my hair. _It can't be all that bad. It doesn't hurt when I touch it, and my neck feels pretty much the same as always. _Still, I couldn't help feeling a bit bothered about it. Maybe that was what Sebastian had seen. In that case, the most logical thing to do would be to ask him about it.

The most logical, yes, but I really didn't want to be molested at the moment. _Still, if you want to know, then ask. Just try not to freeze up when he touches you. _

I scowled at my reflection. _Why do I act so freaked out around him? _I wondered. _Even when I was attracted to any guy before, I still behaved almost the same. _Granted I had only ever been attracted to one guy before, and he had tried to blackmail me into robbing a house with his gang.

He was in jail now.

_Maybe Sebastian is exerting some sort of influence on me,_ I finished braiding my hair and held it for a minute while I thought. _That's probably it. He's a demon, so it makes sense that he would be made up of temptation._

_I just have to make sure that I don't succumb. _I tied the end of my braid with a bit of string and gave it a firm tug. I turned to make my way to Ciel's study. Somewhere downstairs, a phone was ringing. I heard Sebastian pick it.

Something brushed against my legs, and I looked down at Morgan. She mewed, staring up at me with large gold eyes. "Hey Morgan," I bent over to pet her gently. I hadn't seen her since the afternoon when I had tossed her at Sebastian in a fit of panic. Cats hold grudges, don't they?

Well, she seemed to have forgiven me anyway. The half-grown cat immediately latched onto the fabric of my sleeve and scrambled up my arm like I was a tree or a climbing frame. She made her way over my shoulder and curled her lithe body around my neck like a scarf. I straightened and scratched her behind the ears gently. A low rumbling sound filled my ears as she purred loudly.

"I guess this means I can't go and see Ciel." The kid was allergic to cats, which was just a pity really. Cats, for all their rude, haughty demeanours, are really good-looking creatures, and most of them are really cute. "At least, not while you're using me as a post."

She yawned quietly, and buried her face in my neck. I sighed and made my way downstairs instead. It had gotten dark in the time I had been upstairs as the days ended quicker during the winter. I nearly bumped into Sebastian coming up the stairs with a letter on a tray. "Oh, sorry," I glanced at the envelope on the tray in his hands. It had the queen's seal set in red wax. "Is that for Ciel?"

Stupid question, but I asked it anyway because I wanted to find out more. "Yes," Sebastian answered. Morgan mewed from around my neck and I reached up to scratch her again. She licked my fingers and purred. I could see his eyes focused on her. "I also have some sad news regarding Lady Elizabeth."

My brows wrinkled slightly as I followed him up the stairs and towards Ciel's study. "Isn't that the girl that visited just a few hours ago?" I asked as we neared the door. "What happened to her?"

We stopped in front of the door. Sebastian stared at Morgan pointedly, silently telling me to put her down. I sighed and carefully unwound her from around my neck. She hissed quietly and dug her claws into my sleeves. The more I pulled, the more insistent her noises became.

She was going to rip my clothes if this kept up. "Uh…Sebastian?" I winced when her back legs began scrabbling to get closer to me. "A little help, please?"

His smile was full of innocence. "I would, dear Thalia," he shrugged with false helplessness. "Alas, my hands are currently full."

I scowled at him. "You can always put the tray down!" I snapped. He smiled even more at that, but made no move to help me.

After a few more seconds of hisses and yowls, not all of them from the cat, I finally managed to unpick her claws from my dress, which had suffered no great damage by her trimmed, but still very sharp, claws.

She gave one last annoyed meow as I held her away from me. Morgan glared up at me, her golden eyes full of betrayal. "I'm sorry Morgan," I scratched under her chin as an apology, and then put her down. She turned around and rubbed her body along my legs, before taking off down the corridor. "Cats are cute creatures, aren't they?" I said aloud.

"Indeed," Sebastian agreed. "It's difficult to predict what they will do next. They may let you pet them one minute, and bite you the next. In a way, they remind me of you."

I spun around to face him. "_What?_" But he had already knocked on the door of the study and pushed it open, so I was forced to forget the matter for the moment.

Ciel was sitting at his desk with a book. He looked up when we entered. "What is it, Sebastian?" He asked the butler.

"I have some unfortunate news about Lady Elizabeth," Sebastian replied. "It seems she has disappeared."

The book in his hands dropped. Ciel's eyes widened. "What?" He stared at Sebastian. "Elizabeth has disappeared?"

"Yes," Sebastian nodded. "I just heard from her maid who claims she lost sight of Lady Elizabeth around Islington." That must have been the phone call I had heard before.

The chair scraped quietly against the floor when Ciel got up. "We'll move out immediately," he said firmly. "For Heaven's sake, what is she thinking?" He muttered the second part with barely veiled annoyance.

I wondered who Lady Elizabeth was to Ciel, that she could rush into the mansion and he wouldn't put up too much of a fight, and he was willing to drop everything to help her. _Maybe she's family?_ "Before we leave…" Sebastian held out the letter. "This just arrived for you."

Ciel slit the letter open and pulled out a folded bit of paper, along with a bunch of photographs of little girls that all looked to be around Elizabeth's age. He scanned through the letter quickly. "Scotland Yard is still continuing their search in a case concerning the kidnapping of young girls," he told us.

I frowned. "Didn't Aberlain mention something about that?" I folded my arms across my chest. "He said it was linked to the Shard of Hope."

Ciel nodded without looking at me. "The culprit apparently sends out the ring to those meant to become targets," Ciel explained, eyes still on the letter. "Apparently, the bodies of the girls have not been found," he continued. "But it is most likely that they are dead."

The paper fluttered back to the table. "What shall we do?" Sebastian queried.

"We shall ease the queen's gloom," Ciel replied curtly. Something flashed in his eyes, a memory of rage and pain. "That is our highest priority, no matter what. Thalia…" I faced the young earl. "Fetch my cane and hat."

_Ease the queen's gloom, huh? _I walked out of the room and made my way to Ciel's bedroom.

_Why do we have to ease the queen's gloom, when she has done nothing to ease yours or mine?_ I pushed open the door and quickly located the desired items.

_She sits on her throne, a glorified figurehead of what everyone thinks London is. _I waited until Ciel had donned his hat, and then I handed him the gold-tipped cane.

_These people think that it is clean, and beautiful, and free, and pure. _The air was chilled outside. The half moon hung in the sky like a half-closed eye. Sebastian opened the carriage door, and waited for us to enter before he climbed in and shut it behind us.

_It is not._

oOo

The carriage ride was mostly silent. Normally, our outings were full of me yelling at Sebastian for being a pervert, Sebastian making more remarks designed to make me yell more, and Ciel yelling for both of us to shut up.

However, the atmosphere inside the carriage that night was rather tense. Not with unsaid words, but with unspoken thoughts and ideas. I was sitting beside the window seat, next to Ciel, and gazing out at the bare trees of the forest. Sebastian was sitting opposite us, straight and still.

He then turned to Ciel, as though responding to some silent call. "Young master?" The title was a question.

Ciel didn't look at him. "Open the carriage door," he ordered. Sebastian's eyes widened, as did mine. "Go and question the families of the victims and make a list of suspects. We need names and addresses. Sneak into the crime scenes and see what you can find." I could see the reflection of his face in my window. "You should be able to accomplish all of that within three hours, right?"

Sebastian was clearly suspicious. As was I. My eyes narrowed slightly and I twisted around in my seat to face him. "And what will you be doing, young master?"

Ciel glanced at me or, rather, my reflection in the glass. "You will come with me," he said. "I just have some minor business to take care of, and I would like some company." I raised an eyebrow. Sebastian and I glanced at each other, sharing looks of suspicion and slight confusion. "Hurry up and go," Ciel snapped.

The butler nodded. "Yes, my lord." A second later, Sebastian had disappeared, leaving only a faint chill where air had rushed in when he opened the door.

Silence reigned for long while, until I finally sighed and crossed one leg over the other. "So…" I drew out the vowel. "You want to fill me in on this _minor business_?"

"We're going to search for Lady Elizabeth," Ciel replied, gaze still fixed on the window. I blinked and cocked my head to the side. _So why did you ditch Sebastian? He would have come in useful! _I didn't ask this, however, as I doubted he would have given me a suitable reply. He seemed stiff and lost in thought.

The two of us sat in silence until the carriage drew to a complete stop. I recognised the street as Islington, where Lady Elizabeth had apparently gotten lost. I inhaled a cool breath of air, and smiled. It felt good to be on the streets at night. It felt refreshingly familiar, like an old, worn blanket. _But it is really cold._

Ciel stood beside me, eying the streets curiously. "She said she lost sight of Elizabeth around here," he murmured. "But seriously," A tick mark appeared on his forehead. "Why did we have to bring him along?"

I looked down at Pluto curiously. Oh yeah, I never mentioned it did I? Sebastian asked us to take Pluto along as he could be useful protection (or useful bait, but I wasn't going to do that). I was just glad for a reason to have the cute human-dog-thing around. "Aw, relax Ciel," I scratched Pluto behind the ears and he yipped happily. "He's a dog, right? Maybe he can track Lady Elizabeth's scent."

Ciel cocked his head to the side. "True," he pulled out a length of red ribbon from his pocket. "This ribbon from the present has her scent all over it." I placed a hand on one hip as Ciel knelt down and held it out to Pluto. He sniffed it, sneezed, and then began to scratch his ear with his foot.

"Wow, what flexibility," I noted.

Ciel's gritted his teeth angrily. "That little-! Why won't it listen to anyone other than Sebastian?"

"Maybe because Sebastian is a demon, and he's a demon dog?" I suggested, with just a faint hint of sarcasm. Ciel glared at me. I smiled and held out my hand for the ribbon. "Let me try. I have some success with him…"

Before I could though, Pluto suddenly bounded off, pulling Ciel behind him unceremoniously. For a moment, I thought he had found something, until I realised that he had spotted a pretty stray dog a few yards away.

I sweatdropped. "Is this a trait that all males share?" I wondered.

The leash stretched as Ciel strained to keep hold of Pluto. "Stop being in heat at a time like this!" I laughed and took the leash from Ciel. It was easier for me to keep hold of the dog, since Pluto listened to me a bit.

"_Oh!_" The sudden voice scared the stray away, and made Pluto stop scrambling to run after it. "Oh, men in heat make my heart thump!"

_What the ever-loving frick-frack? _Ciel and I looked up and spotted a man standing on the roof of the building in front of us. Well, I assumed it was a man. The voice sounded a bit more masculine than feminine, and the form seemed male enough. I couldn't see much, other than he was wearing a lot of red.

"I am the hunter of love!" The man continued. "This heart of mine burns up any prey I set my eyes on! It scatters deep crimson sparks!" He turned, and the moon outlined his features a bit, but he was still too far away for me to see much of him. "Hunk sighted!"

_This night just turned really weird._ I was surprised that Ciel knew who he was. "You!" He snarled.

The man smirked and struck a pose. "Even like this, I'm a butler to die for!" He then shrugged. "Well, right now, I'm not in any active employment." The guy jumped off the roof and landed in front of us. Now that he was closer, I could see out his features.

He was definitely male, but also kind of feminine too. He was pretty in an _I-could-bite-out-your-heart-and-chew -it-up-if-I-wanted-to _sort of way. And I mean that in the most literal manner. He had really sharp teeth like a shark, but neater, and gold eyes behind a pair of stylish red glasses. He was also wearing a red coat over a black and white butler's uniform.

All in all, I quite liked his general appearance.

"Because of the whole Madame Red incidence, I've been denoted and now I have nothing to do but boring, lowly jobs. That bastard, Will, told me I couldn't return to work until I retrieved some troublesome souls. That rotten sadist!"

At that, he paused like he was thinking. "Well, they do say food is at its best when it's about to go rotten. And those cold eyes send chills up my spine! Still," he eyed Pluto. "This one's wildness is hard to ignore…"

I blinked and cocked my head to the side. "Uh…that's a dog…" I pointed out, just in case he wasn't sure. The guy suddenly froze and stared at me with half narrowed eyes. "What?"

"You look vaguely familiar," he hummed. "Have we met before?"

I arched an eyebrow. "I don't think so," I replied carefully, a bit unnerved by his sudden scrutiny. "I think I'd remember if I met someone like you. You're hard to miss."

He leaned back, apparently pleased with my words. I noticed that Ciel looked furious, like he really hated the guy in front of us. My hackles immediately rose. Whoever this man was, he had obviously done something terrible to Ciel in the past. The young earl was clearly not the type to hold grudges for small things. He focused on the larger things.

"Who is this guy anyway?" I asked Ciel.

The angry look on his face intensified. "Grell Sutcliff," he replied coldly. "A reaper. He collects the souls of the dead."

The man smiled. "Oh come now," he cooed tauntingly. "Don't tell me you're about to take revenge for your beloved aunt? And it looks like Sebastian isn't around either. What can a brat like you do?"

"Shut up," I snapped. "Do _not_ call him that." Pluto picked up on my anger and began to growl beside me, body tensed and teeth bared.

The guy, Grell, looked surprised. "Ah, so your night tonight is him?" He huffed. "Why does this kid steal all the good men?" I sweatdropped. _What is he going on about?_ At that moment, Pluto suddenly pulled free of my grip and bounded towards the man. "Oh, I'm being assaulted~!" He shivered happily, and then held out his arms. "Please be gentle~!"

Pluto ran past him and disappeared around a corner. "We do not have time for this!" I groaned as we ran to catch up with Pluto before we lost sight of him. Pluto led us in twists and turns, through darkened alleyways until we finally turned a corner and spotted to where he was running.

It was a toy shop. The window was lined with puppets and nursery lamps, teddy bears and dolls. And right in the centre was a doll that looked _exactly _like lady Elizabeth. "Lizzy!" Ciel shouted.

There was a sound of something landing behind us, and the pages turning. "Grim Reaper Death Note," Grell read aloud. He must have followed us here, or he was heading here anyway. "Number 403: Mandalay Family Puppeteer, Drozell Keinz."

I blinked, confused. "Drozell?" Glass shattered, and I whirled around to see that the window was broken, and Ciel was already running towards the ominous toy shop.

I took a step to follow him, and then Grell spoke again. "You _do_ seem familiar," he frowned at me. "Are you _certain _that we haven't met before?"

This repeated question was wasting my time. I scowled up at him. "Yes, I'm sure we haven't met before! So excuse me…!" I turned my back on him, but his next words made me freeze in my tracks.

"Apart from that, there is something wrong with your soul." I turned my head slightly so that I could see him out of my periphery. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, not exactly _wrong_," he amended. "It's strange. I have never seen anything like it."

"My soul?" I wanted to ask him what he meant, but then I heard Pluto whine and I snapped back to attention. _Ciel. _I ran into the toy shop, and caught sight of Ciel's cloak slipping through a door behind the desk.

Beyond the door was a clearing, and then a forest, and then rising out from the forest was a castle. Although it was painted with blue and pink, there was something ominous about it. whatever was inside it was probably not friendly.

The wind ruffled my hair and I turned to look down at Ciel. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked him. "This looks dangerous, and I may not be able to protect you if whatever is in there is…not human."

Ciel grit his teeth. "I have no doubt that Lizzy is in there," he said. "I have to get her out."

I folded my arms across my chest. "I'd still feel more comfortable if Sebastian was with us," I stated. "Or something like him."

"My, isn't this a welcoming mansion!" Grell wandered up to us with a wide smile. Ciel and I stared at him, and then at each other.

His eyes widened at the question in mine. "No."

I placed my hands on my hips and frowned down at him. _You don't have to like it,_ I told the young earl with my gaze, _but right now he's the only other supernatural being here, excluding Pluto._ Ciel scowled and looked away. I grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look at me. "Do it for Lady Elizabeth. You care for her, don't you?"

A conflicted look passed over his face, and then he finally sighed. "Fine," he grunted. "Grell, protect us." The man in question turned to us incredulously. "I'll listen to whatever your wish is," Ciel continued.

Grell huffed. "Don't insult me," he snapped. "Do you think I'm some cheap woman who performs for mone-!"

"I'll let you do whatever you wish to Sebastian for a whole day," Ciel cut him off with a sly smirk.

"_What!_" I stared at Ciel in shock. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Grell actually looked interested. He probably had a crush on Sebastian. "Whatever I want?" He tapped his cheek thoughtfully. "Does that mean…" The full weight of the deal suddenly hit him and his eyes began to sparkle with barely repressed excitement. "_I can kiss him?_"

"Whatever you like."

"W-with _tongue_?" _Ew, that was unnecessary, _I grimaced.

"That depends on how you play it," Ciel answered, and I glared down at him. The boy smirked up at me. While Grell celebrated the deal. "What is it, Thalia?" Ciel asked me mockingly. "You seem upset."

"You can't just sell Sebastian off to some redheaded weirdo," I replied. "He'll never go for it." There was an uncomfortable feeling in my chest, like I was being choked. I squashed it down.

"You shouldn't care," Ciel told me, turning to walk towards the house. "After all, you're the one constantly running away from him and claiming to hate him."

_That's true,_ I thought as I followed Ciel. _Then why do I feel so annoyed? This is stupid._ Pluto trotted at my heels, and I stroked his head absentmindedly. He growled at Grell whenever the man tried to come closer. _Good dog. You're getting a belly rub when we get home. _

I eyed the castle nervously. _Whenever that is…_


	12. London Dolls

**I finally have internet now! Now I can update all my stories really quickly, especially this one since I have pretty much already planned out the next ten or so chapters already.**

**Oh yeah, quick question: I really want to add the whole Book of Circus arc to this story (I think it comes after the Curry Contest arc) and I want to know if people actually want to read that. Please PM me or write it in your reviews. I have also planned for a lot of Sebastian and Thalia moments too**

**Thalia: What!?**

**Sebastian: *smirk***

**Me: On with the story!**

**London Dolls**

We finally reached the large double doors of the castle. "Well then!" Grell shoved the doors open with reward-fuelled excitement. "Let's get a move on!"

The landing was empty, save for a small stand in the centre of the room on which a girl was standing. I wasn't sure if it was a real girl, or if she was simply drugged. Her eyes looked so dead. Something glinted on her finger.

My eyes widened in stunned realization. "Ciel, isn't that the ring from the fair?"

Ciel followed my gaze and hissed in shock. "The Hope Diamond!"

"But I thought it sank into the Thames!" I stared at the girl, whose eyes were still lowered. "That means that this must be one of the missing girls that the Yard has been searching for!" I leaned closer to stare at her face. Something didn't seem quite right about her skin.

Suddenly, her eyes moved and fixed on me. I hissed. "Move!" I shoved Ciel out of the way. At the same moment, her hand shot out and grabbed my wrist in a grip that showed more strength than her frame gave her credit for. Her expression did not change. Only her eyes moved as her fingers tightened.

"Thalia!" Ciel yelled. I gritted my teeth and struggled to pull my hand out of her grip. Her hands felt unnaturally hard. I kicked her legs out from under her, forcing her to let go of me as she fell to the ground. _Ow._ The skin around my wrist was slightly bruised, and rubbed red. The girl got back on her feet and turned to us. I stood in front of Ciel, fists clenched.

"Hey!" Ciel and I looked up at Grell. He was standing on top of the chandelier with a pout. "Don't forget whose name you should be calling!" He smirked down at us. "Reapers have tools they use to hunt souls with! Yes," he suddenly whipped out two scissors. "Their death scythes!"

I blinked several times. "Uh, aren't those just safety scissors?" I pointed out. Behind me, Ciel facepalmed.

"I had no choice in the matter!" Grell whined. "Will confiscated my custom-made death scythe! Oh how I long for those familiar vibrations!" I sweatdropped. The girl was coming closer. "I'll cut her to threads!" He leaped off the chandelier.

"Wait!" Ciel yelled. "Don't kill her! That isn't a doll!"

"Ciel!" I grabbed his arm before he could run towards her. "Stop! You'll get hurt!" This guy wasn't Sebastian. He wouldn't obey Ciel's every command. The scissors sliced through her neck and she collapsed. "Besides," I released Ciel once she was down. "She isn't real."

Ciel's eyes widened. "What?" He stared at me, and then his eyes fixed on the gash in her neck. Sawdust was pouring out of her. "How did you know?"

I held out my bruised wrist. "Her hands felt too hard and rough to be human," I explained with a shrug. "She's a doll, or a puppet of some kind." I watched Ciel as he knelt down and pulled the ring off her finger. "Can I hold that?" He passed it to me, and I slipped it onto my thumb. I didn't like the way it looked. Gold had never been my favourite colour. Silver, like Ciel's ring, like my mother's ring, that was my favourite.

Still, the ring fit rather well for all intents and purposes. I twisted it around a bit thoughtfully.

"_Mould it out of wood and clay, wood and clay, wood and clay~…_"

Someone was singing to the tune of _London's Bridge is Falling Down_. The voice was coming from behind the door in front of us, which swung open to reveal a man holding a candle. His movements were a bit jerky, as though he was being manoeuvred like a puppet on strings. He was wearing a top hat, and his face held little emotion. There was a small mark on his right cheek, like a tattoo or such.

He stopped in front of us. "This doll was a failure," he said, and I wasn't sure if he was talking to us or to himself. His voice, like his movements, was also stilted. It was fluid enough, but each word came out a few seconds after the other, as though his brain needed a few seconds longer to search for the next word. "They need to be made much, much stronger," he raised a hand. "_Make it out of iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel._"

I took a step back, dragging Ciel behind me as more of those weird doll girls began to stream out from the darkened corridor behind the of them had dead eyes and moved with mechanical precision.

"_Make it out of iron and steel, my fair lady!_" The man withdrew back into the darkness, the haunting melody growing quiter but not disappearing altogether.

Grell scowled. "Those who interfere with the love between Sebastian and I will pay!" He ran at the dolls, scissors outstretched. However, like the man had said, these ones were much stronger. They were made of iron and steel, so the scissors bounced harmlessly off them. "No way!"

"Grell, this is an order!" Ciel snapped. "You and Pluto are to play with the dolls here forever!" I had forgotten about Pluto. The demon dog was in the corner, chewing one of the dolls. And I mean the small, harmless ones, not the large, metal ones that wanted to kill us.

"Pluto!" The dog stopped chewing and ran to my side, tongue lolling. "Look Pluto!" I pointed to the girls. "Life-sized chew toys!" He stared at the girls with wide eyes, and then bounded towards them with a howl. "Good dog!"

Ciel and I turned and ran past Grell and the dolls into the lightless corridor, which soon turned to a flight a stairs. The stairs led us into a room like a ballroom or something. The walls were painted in tones of gentle blue and green. We stopped in the middle of the room, staring at the doors and wondering which way to go next.

"Ciel Phantomhive." Our heads flew up. The man from before was sitting on the ledge of a high balcony overlooking us. "Thalia Hawthorne. You are both incredibly beautiful. I will have to make you into dolls that befit such beauty."

I snarled. "That is not going to happen," I told him.

"Where is Elizabeth?" Ciel demanded, but he continued like he had not even heard us.

"Now, what to make it out of?" His head fell to the side like the string holding it had briefly gone slack. "Clay flows too much, and iron quickly becomes brash…" he paused. "Therefore, I reason…_make it out of silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold…_"

_Not this again. _Ciel and I rushed through the door and found ourselves in another dark hallway. Except…

I took a step back, gripping Ciel's shoulder quickly. This walls of the hallway was covered in masks. Masks painted in gay colours, some with wigs and some with feathers, and every single one of them was singing along in voices that sounded like a cursed choir of demons.

"_Make it out of silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold! Make it out of silver and gold, my fair lady!_"

Ciel covered his ears. The song was getting to him. It was getting to me too, but we had to continue. "Get on my back," I told Ciel, kneeling down in front of him. "I'll carry you."

He stared at me with wide eyes. "Are you sure you can manage."

I scoffed and smiled. "Please, I have carried heavier." He wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my waist. I got to my feet, testing his weight and shifting my balance. For a twelve year old boy, he barely weighed anything. _You really need to eat more._ I started running, trying not to slip, trying not to let the eeriness of the music get to me.

_It's past midnight, _I realized. _It's his birthday today. He should be in bed, dreaming of presents and happy times. _

"_Make it out of silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold! Make it out of silver and gold, my fair lady!_"

_What happened? _My feet pounded against the stairs. _What happened to make him hate the day so much?_

There was a door up ahead, slightly open. There moonlight beyond it. I pushed myself to run faster.

_Sebastian… _

My eyes widened. I fell through the door, gasping for breath. Ciel pushed the door closed, shutting out the awful music. _Sebastian,_ I thought. _It has something to do with Sebastian._ No child makes a contract with a demon unless they have already experienced hell on earth.

After a moment, I looked up. The breaths froze in my throat and my chest. On the floor was a familiar symbol. A symbol that had been burned into my memory and onto my body. Beside me, Ciel also seemed catatonic, and he was shaking. Suddenly, everything fell into place.

We had both experienced the same hell.

The windows fluttered. "Nothing good ever seems to happen on your birthday, does it?" A voice asked. I whipped my head to the side. Sebastian was sitting perched on the windowsill. "You lose your mansion, your parents. This time, will you also lose Lady Elizabeth?"

I pulled Ciel towards me like I could protect him from Sebastian. _Like I could._ "Take it back," Ciel snapped.

Sebastian feigned innocence. "What?"

"Your impudence from before!" Ciel pulled away from me and faced the demon. I wrapped my arms around myself. I hadn't felt the chill before, but now I did.

Sebastian's gaze slid to me briefly, but I staunchly refused to look in his direction. "Young master," he looked back at Ciel. "You said you had minor business to take care of, did you not?" He smiled calmly, with a hint of mockery. "Does that business involve indulging yourself in the serenity of despair in order to escape your pitiful past?"

"Wanting to save someone you care about is not a bad thing," I said quietly, but with enough coldness and force in my tone to make them both turn to me. "Don't talk like you can even _fathom_ what it means to love anything that much. Maybe it's because you're a demon. You love nothing, so you can risk nothing for another."

I don't know where the words came from, but they flowed out of my mouth like sand and sawdust. Maybe Sebastian's mockery of Ciel's attempt to save Lady Elizabeth reminded me of my failed attempt to save my mother so long ago.

All the time, all through my speech, I never once looked at either of them, even after I finished. "Thalia…" I finally looked at Sebastian. His eyes were wide and he looked faintly surprised by my words. I looked away, feeling a bit bad about it. But only a little bit.

"_Make them out of iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel!_"

The music started up again. The door of the room burst open and many more dolls poured through, all made of iron and steel. "Grell was beaten?" Ciel gasped. _I hope Pluto is alright. _Ciel moved backwards away from them. I stood in front of him, and Sebastian came to stand beside us.

"Hmm?" He stared at the onslaught of dolls. "So they are manipulated through rhythm? In that case, _spin around from iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel!_" The dolls suddenly stopped walking and began to nod their heads in time to the music."_Spin around from iron and steel, my fair lady!_"

Ciel and I stared in shock as he landed between them, still singing, and proceeded to break every single metal neck until the dolls lay in a heap at our feet.

"_Spin around from iron and steel, my fair lady,_" he knelt down in front of me.

I felt my eye twitch. "Who the hell are you calling a lady?" _I would knee you in the face if you weren't fast enough to avoid me._

He just smirked at me and stood up. "We'll escape through the window," Sebastian reached for us.

"Stop!" The man from before, the one that moved like a puppet (from what I had seen, he probably _was_ a puppet) was standing at the door. He was holding a music box, the kind that you work by turning a handle around and around. "Those two are already the master's property," he told us.

My eye twitched again. "Property?" Ciel glared at the man. "Who do you think-!"

"The proof are the rings on your fingers." Ciel looked down at the ring on his thumb, while I suddenly remembered the one on mine. I pulled it off quickly. "The Shard of Hope is something the master presents to those who will become dolls," he explained.

"Master?" Sebastian echoed.

I don't think he could be cut off. He didn't respond to statements until he had finished what he was saying, like a pre-recorded message. "Ciel Phantomhive and Thalia Hawthorne will become dolls. Dolls made of silver and gold."

"Aw," I frowned. "But I don't like gold. How about we just use silver?"

Sebastian chuckled quietly, and then waved a finger at the puppet. "_Silver and gold both get snatched, both get snatched, both get snatched!_" Sebastian suddenly swept the two of us into his arms and leaped out of the window, essentially snatching us.

The ground rushed up to meet us, and we landed somewhere in the clearing on a stone bridge. "My, my," Sebastian put us down and looked up at the silhouetted castle. I suddenly became aware of the time, and how wide awake I felt even though it was probably around one in the morning.

_Slap!_

Sebastian stared at Ciel in shock, the young earl's hand was still up from the slap. Ciel had just struck Sebastian! I sucked my lips in and decided to stay quiet. "What about Lizzy?" He growled at the butler. "We left her behind! I ordered you to solve the kidnapping case! Saving Lizzy should have been part of that!"

"Orders and my contract are completely different things," Sebastian said. "Just as you prioritise the queen's orders, I must prioritise your safety. You are my young master, who I have served and protected faithfully." I took a step back as his eyes began to glow red. "I would never allow someone to take you after so long."

The two stared at each other for long time, and then Ciel spoke. "Thalia?"

"Yes, young master?"

"The ring." It was still in my hand. I had been gripping it tightly when Sebastian had jumped with us. I brushed past Sebastian and dropped it into Ciel's outstretched palm. The boy turned it over a few times between his gloved fingers.

"Young master?" Sebastian asked.

"This seems to be the sign of those to be attacked next," Ciel noted, not answering. He slid the ring onto the same finger as the other. The two shards of the Hope Diamond on the same person. This was probably tantamount to breaking a mirror underneath a ladder while a black cat walked past you. A smirk played over his mouth as he held up his hand. "Protecting me with two of these should be backbreaking work."

Sebastian and I stared at him quietly, and then the former smiled. He bowed. "Even so, I will still…"

The howl of a wolf cut through the air. My eyes widened. "Pluto! My puppy!" _Yay, he's alright!_

Sebastian spared me a glare that I didn't pay any attention to, before turning to Ciel. "I searched the mansion high and low, but I could not find a trace of Lady Elizabeth," he said. In the distance, I could see a tower rising out of the ground and piercing the moon at the top. "Now all that remains is that sealed tower."

When we reached the tower, Grell was struggling to hold Pluto. The demon dog was straining at his leash and barking at the tower. "You guys are still alive?" Ciel stared.

Grell was the first to spot us. "Sebby!" He leaped at Sebastian, arms outstretched for a hug. He was suddenly shoved to the ground as Pluto used his body as a springboard to tackle me. Like a dog, he stood on his hind legs (i.e. his legs) and rested his front legs (i.e. his hands) on my shoulders began nuzzling my face while making happy dog noises.

In response, I scratched behind his ears and made cooing noises. "Aw, Pluto! I'm so glad you're alright!" Dogs are awesome. I don't know why Sebastian doesn't like them. They are the cutest, most loyal companions a person will ever find. Also, they're good for cuddling. Unlike cats who only cuddle when _they_ want to cuddle, dogs will cuddle any time because they love you more than you know and probably deserve.

"Pluto," Sebastian suddenly barked. The demon dog stopped nuzzling me and went to gnaw playfully at Sebastian's legs.

I scowled at the man with unveiled irritation. "I wasn't done cuddling him yet!"

"What is this?" Grell yelled at us. And then his eyes widened. "Don't tell me that's a demon dog?"

Ciel arched an eyebrow. "Did you only just figure it out?"

Grell stared at Pluto for a long moment, and then- "Oh no! A feverish night with a beast!" He squealed, his nose gushing blood as weird images went through his mind. "How immoral!"

I sweatdropped. "That's disgusting."

"You really have no morals or standards, do you?" Sebastian stated. "At any rate," he looked down at Pluto, who had stopped chewing his leg and had started nosing around my boots. "Pluto, I was waiting for you."

"Why?" I asked curiously. "What do you need Pluto for?"

Sebastian nodded towards the huge door of the tower. "Doors sealed with an unearthly power can only be opened by a guard dog of hell." We got closer to the door and, sure enough, both Pluto's collar and the door began to glow. The glowing encompassed his entire body and Pluto transformed into his more canine form. As we watched, the door of the tower swung open, revealing a dark hallway.

_There has been so much darkness tonight._ However, I could feel something beyond the darkness calling to me. The four of us ran into the tower, up the steep, winding stone staircase until we reached a door near the top. There, we paused to catch our breath and mentally prepare ourselves for whatever was behind the door. Finally, Sebastian pushed it open, and we peered in.

It looked like a workshop for dolls. There were half-made dolls on the tables, and wood shavings, and working instruments. There were limbs, and heads, and coats of armour and weaponry pushed to the walls of the room. At the far end of the room, on a chair of her own, was Lady Elizabeth.

"Lizzy!" Ciel ran to her side and knelt down beside her. "Lizzy!" Her skin was smooth, too smooth to have been human. She was already a doll.

"It seems we're a bit late," Grell said, with little remorse. I reached up and yanked on his hair sharply. "Ow!"

"Be more considerate," I hissed.

Ciel kept shaking the doll of Lady Elizabeth, yelling out her name until her eyes finally flickered open. She didn't look dead like the other dolls. In fact, she seemed perfectly alright apart from the obvious metallic gleam of her skin. "Huh?" She murmured. "Ciel?"

"Lizzy!" Ciel exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"The ring," she smiled softly. "You liked it right?" _The ring? Does she mean the Shard of Hope?_ I flashed back to the present she had tried to give to Ciel earlier, before quickly retracting it.

"That must have been the present she had wanted to give you," Sebastian said my thoughts aloud.

Ciel grit his teeth. "How foolish," he muttered. "Why for me…?"

Something glinted sharply, a metal string, and Lady Elizabeth's arm rose sharply. "Why, I wonder?" The voice of the puppet man came from all around us. The girl suddenly rose up into the air, arms outstretched at her sides and eyes wide with confused fear. "Why is my body moving all by itself? And…" An axe suddenly landed in Lady Elizabeth's hands. "…why is it trying to kill the one I love?"

My eyes widened. "Oh hell."

"Elizabeth!" I pushed Ciel out of the way, into Sebastian's arms, and quickly rolled away to avoid the clumsy but powerful strike.

She was screaming with every swing. "Stop, please! Make it stop!" The blade of the axe struck against the wall, knocking down a few stones.

The strings glinted in the light of the flames. "There are strings attached to her," I yelled. "Can we cut them?"

Sebastian jumped backwards to avoid a blow. "Grell," he called the red reaper who was playing with his scissors absentmindedly while the fight raged around him. "You can see the strings, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," he said. _I am going to hack off all your hair. _"But that blade might cut me."

"_I_ will cut you!" I yelled at him angrily, and then jumped backwards to avoid the axe again.

Sebastian caught hold the blade and smiled his most charming smile. "Please, Grell."

And thus, the reaper reacted accordingly. "Oh, Sebastian, are you asking me for a favour?" He batted his lashes coquettishly and began to squirm with barely repressed excitement. "Then, when we kiss, it will be with tongue!"

"I think I'm going to throw up."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sebastian frowned. "But I'll have you know that I tie cherry stalks with my tongue." I facepalmed. _That bit of information was so unnecessary! _Still, I could feel my face going a bit pink, but I attributed it to all the running and ducking I had been doing.

However, it got the job done. Grell turned to Lady Elizabeth with a determined look on his face. "To have a bigger weapon than me when you're nothing but a little girl?" He smirked. "I cannot forgive that!" He quickly sliced through the strings, and the girl fell to the ground. "Hmph!" Grell looked smug. "Only a death scythe edge cold be so sharp! I'm so great, aren't I Sebastian? Praise me, praise me!"

Sebastian glanced at him. "Amazing. You are most skilled with a pair of scissors, aren't you?"

I knelt down beside her, and reached for something on her shoulder. "It's puppet string," I held it up so that they could all see it. "And it leads to…"

We followed the trail of string up the rafters of the room. "I reasoned…" the puppet man spoke. Suddenly, more strings materialized (or they were always there. They were all rather fine, like spiders' silk) and wrapped around us tightly. "…that what I should use to make the dolls this time is-"

"Well, what are you made out of?" Sebastian interrupted him.

The puppet paused, as though thinking. "What am I made out of?"

"Yes," Sebastian smiled. "From what I can see, it does not appear to be a very strong material."

The puppet seemed to be considering this. "I reason," he began hesitantly. "That I was meant to be human. However," he reached up and poked a finger into his ear. "Lately, termites seem to be falling out of my ears." He removed his finger, releasing a small shower of sawdust and the aforementioned termites.

There was a movement on the ground, and I looked down in time to see Sebastian kick the axe up so that it stood vertically, and then he kicked it at the puppet. The blow unbalanced him from his perch, loosening the threads around us. I felt a sadistic sort of pleasure when Sebastian used Grell's head as a springboard to reach the puppet. In the next few seconds, the body of the puppet fell to the ground. His head, its head was hacked open to reveal wood shavings and straw.

Sebastian landed in front of us and dropped the axe. "As if I would lose to someone with no passion," he smirked.

"That's a passionate man for you," Grell sidled up to Sebastian's side and stared up at him with big, moony eyes. Ciel and I sweatdropped.

"Anyway," I looked down at the wooden man on the ground. "He was just another puppet."

"Drozell Keinz," Grell said. That was the name he had mentioned much earlier, the puppeteer whose soul he had come to inspect. Still, the man wasn't exactly…alive… "His soul was seized five years ago. However, for some reason, there was a reaction to his life force."

"A temporary soul must have been used by someone," Sebastian said. _Well I am learning so much tonight. _I frowned and folded my arms across my chest. Grell had mentioned my soul earlier as well. He had said that there was something strange about it. I put a hand on my chest, as though I could feel the essence of my spirit where my heart beat.

"Ciel…" I turned around. Lady Elizabeth's eyes opened slowly.

"Elizabeth!" The young earl looked relieved. "Let's go back to the mansion."

She smiled up at him. "I want to have a birthday party for you, Ciel."

Ciel stared at her silently, and there was so much sadness in his eyes. "Alright, Lizzy," he told her quietly. "Please celebrate for me." The girl smiled up at him softly, and then her eyes shut again. Her skin lost its shiny, metallic appearance and returned to normal. Ciel stroked her cheek gently. "It's okay. Everything is-"

"It's not over yet," Sebastian said. I turned around. The puppet, Drozell, was still moving. It struggled to its feet like a dying man bent on one last act. I lifted my leg to crush it down again. "No, don't." I stopped and stared at Sebastian. "He may lead us somewhere important."

I lowered my foot and allowed the puppet to rise to its feet shakily. "I reasoned…that I must report…to the master…" We watched Drozell as it walked jerkily, straw dropping from the gash in its head, until it finally reached a large white door on the other side of the room. "Master…" the puppet pushed the door open with the last of its strength, before collapsing to the ground in the room.

The room was large, beautiful, and devoid of furniture, save for a single high-backed chair that wasn't facing us. There was a man sitting on the chair and, whoever it was, Pluto seemed to like him quite a lot. The demon dog was lying on the ground in front of the chair and wagging his tail.

I took another step into the room. "Pluto!" I frowned when the dog licked at the person's hand. "He's being so friendly…"

The man spoke. "I do apologise," he said. "My butler was so incompetent that he couldn't even offer you a proper welcome."

"So you're the culprit," Ciel said. "Why are you turning young girls into dolls?"

"Flowers, eras, and people…" the man replied calmly. "Beauty is a fleeting thing. Doll making is an art that leaves behind the most beautiful and perfect things of the world."

His reply irritated me. "Nothing in this world is perfect," I snapped. "There are flaws in every single thing, even your precious little dolls."

"Besides that," Ciel glared at the back of the chair. "Why were you targeting Thalia and me? We have no desire to become one of your dolls!" He took of the gold band and threw it at the chair. It hit the chair with a sharp, quiet thud and fell to the carpeted floor.

There was silence for a second, and then the man spoke. "Please limit your insolence," he said coldly. "My butler's head was made from straw. I cannot fathom why he wanted _you_ of all people. Ciel Phantomhive, you have carried the fate of death since birth. That body of yours is already unclean."

Ciel stiffened beside me. "Shut up!" I yelled at the man. "You don't have the right to say that! You don't have the right to make such judgements-!"

"Thalia Hawthorne," he interrupted me. "You, on the other hand," he chuckled. "You are what I want. You have the essence of purity in you. I can sense it. It is in your very soul."

"What?" _My soul? Is…is that the strange thing that Grell mentioned?_ The essence of purity…

"The proof is the white of your hair," the man continued. "But your being is tainted by the mark on your body." My hand went to my neck in shock. How had he known about that? "As for you, Ciel, I cannot forgive the fact that something like you exists in this world. Something unclean, unwanted, barren…"

The shock I was feeling disappeared into red hot fury. "Shut up!"

The chair began to shake. "Get rid of the unclean, get rid of the unwanted! Get rid of it, get rid of it, get rid of it…!" His words grew faster, more frenzied, the voice grew higher in pitch until it began to grate at me with its sense of fanatical insanity.

Finally, I cracked. "_Shut up!_" I ran to the chair, arms raised to hit whoever was there. Except, there was no one there, and the voice stopped the second I reached it. There was just another puppet with a cloth bag for a head, and a smaller puppet resting between its legs, which suddenly rose to its feet and stared at us out of painted eyes.

I took a step backwards, unnerved by the fixed stare, and sensing that something was about to happen.

It did. The puppet's face suddenly fell apart as its eyes rolled up into its head and its mouth opened to reveal a grin of sharp teeth. It screamed shrilly, and then began to laugh maniacally. I stared as it hopped down from the chair and ran out of the room.

"Sebastian, catch it!" Ciel yelled.

"There's no point," Sebastian said. "The person controlling the strings is not in the vicinity. There are unseen strings attached all around here. They are far from pleasant."

_This whole night has been far from pleasant._ I decided to push the words of the puppet away for now. I could ruminate on them later. For now, we had to get out of here and get back to the mansion. I stroked Pluto gently, noticing that he seemed subdued now. _Whoever that person was,_ my eyes narrowed, _he knows Pluto._

The sun was already up by the time we were outside. _This is going to mess up my sleep pattern for a while._ "Sebby!" I winced when Grell screamed and leaped towards Sebastian. "Now that that's all over, give me a hot kiss!"

Sebastian crouched quickly, allowing the reaper to sail over his head and crash into the ground. He turned to Ciel. "How about it, young master?" He asked. "Would you like me to take revenge for Madame Red right here and now?"

Grell got to his feet quickly. "Fine, I'll leave the kiss until next time!"

"More like _never_," I murmured quietly. The red haired man blew a kiss at Sebastian, and then jumped away into the trees.

"Stop right the-!"

"It's okay," Ciel cut him off. The young boy touched Elizabeth's sleeping face gently. "I don't want Lizzy to be bathed in anymore blood."

I smiled. "That's sweet." Ciel glared at me like I had personally insulted him. "Oi, don't give me that look!" I smirked. "I meant that in the best possible way. It's not a crime to care about other people. Lady Elizabeth is lucky to have you." _Well shit, not I'm getting more emotional than I have to._ "Anyway," I yawned. "Can we start going home now?"

I didn't wait for them to start walking before I did.

**No One's POV**

Ciel and Sebastian watched the woman as she walked off, her braid swinging behind her. The red tips that made Ciel think of a bloodied paintbrush. He didn't know much about her, which was strange as he normally made it his business to know about his staff. Maybe it was because she hadn't been recruited by Sebastian.

_Still…_ "Sebastian…" The man looked down at his young master questioningly. "…what did that man mean earlier?" Ciel asked. "What does Thalia's soul smell like?"

Sebastian paused briefly. "Sweet," he replied after a moment. "Her soul is mostly human, but with an overtone. The overall scent is one I have never smelled before." He inhaled deeply, catching the lingering scent in the air. He fought to keep his eyes from glowing. "It's intoxicating."

"Hmm?" Ciel hummed, eying the demon curiously. "Then I suppose it's a good thing that I ordered you not to hurt her, isn't it?"

_I wouldn't, even if you hadn't,_ Sebastian thought. _She is mine. _"Yes, young master," he said out loud.

Ciel smiled to himself, and started walking. "I have a feeling that she means a lot more to you than you're letting on." Sebastian smiled as well, and thus the three began the journey back to the mansion.

oOo

I spent three hours during the day napping, after which Sebastian woke me up by ripping off my covers and telling me that we needed to prepare everything required for Ciel's birthday party. That meant a lot of baking, and polishing, and washing, and arranging, and ultimately having a bright pink party hat shoved onto my head by Lady Elizabeth, who seemed to have recovered fully from her ordeal.

Evening came and we gathered in the dining room to celebrate. The servants and I stood around the table, while Sebastian stood behind him and Lady Elizabeth sat to Ciel's right. "Happy birthday, Ciel!" She cheered. "Congratulations!"

"Congratulations young master!" The servants and I shouted. "Happy birthday!"

_The atmosphere is so sparkly and happy. I feel like I'm being splashed with a bucketful of fairy dust._

_Still_, I smiled. Sometimes it's nice to feel this way. There's nothing wrong with love, or wanting to protect someone, or wanting to be happy. I was glad that Ciel was able to celebrate his birthday and experience something like this.


	13. Winter and Freeloaders

**Hi everyone! Yes, another update for my story! And this time, I'm doing two chapters because I'm feeling generous, and because one of my reviewers asked me to, so thank Esharemet for that *waves at reviewer happily***

**I don't own Black Butler! I only own Thalia and her mysterious back-story **

**Winter and Freeloaders**

"_Do you think she is ready?_" _The voices were cold, hollow. The chains attached to my wrists that held me down were cold iron, but my whole body felt feverish with fear. My irises and pupils had shrunk into the white, and they darted frantically to every masked face, to the ceiling, to the walls…_

_What else were they going to do with me? They had cut me, and dunked me. My body was broken and riddled with scars and cuts. Some had faded, and others were still red scabs. Some had broken up and were bleeding onto the stone slab underneath me._

"_Tonight is the nice," one of the masked faces said. "_She_ said so._"

"_Bring the chalice!_"_A large cup of silver full of a dark red liquid was passed to the masked man standing above me. He held a knife in one hand, and the goblet in the other. "As you drink this blood," he intoned loudly. "May your soul be made pure by its cleansing fire!"_

_I clamped my mouth shut. The metal edge of the cup cut my lip as they forced it between my lips. Someone held my nose and, when I opened my mouth to gasp for breath, they poured the contents of the chalice down my throat._

_Screams poured out of my throat as I felt the liquid turn to fire and acid, and begin to burn inside me. _It hurts! It burns! Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop…!

"_Make it stop!_" I sat up in bed, panting for breath, feeling the lingering fear of my dream as my eyes darted around the darkness of my room. Soon, my breaths began to calm. "A nightmare," I murmured. I covered my face with my hands. "It was just a nightmare."

It had been three years since I had last dreamt of that time. Only three days had passed since Ciel's birthday, and since that man had told me something about my soul. Somehow, what had happened to me in those six months of torture, was linked to that man.

_Go back to sleep, _I lay back on the bed, but sleep eluded me. Every time my eyes shut, I saw masked faces in the darkness, and felt the phantom pain of a hundred old scars. I finally got out of bed and wrapped my blanket around my body. _Maybe if I sit outside for a while, I'll feel better._

The house was silent when I peered out of my room. I made my way to the balcony on the highest floor, and drew apart the door. Cold air blew against my face, and I shivered, feeling more wide awake than before. The stars were crystal clear in the night sky, and the moon was half full tonight. I wished it was full. Full moons are beautiful, and magical.

I leaned against the railing of the balcony and closed my eyes. I could hear night sounds, coupled with the faint sounds of people not asleep. Crickets chirped in the grass, and owls hooted quietly in the trees. A dark shape moved in one of the tress: Morgan. I could see her eyes gleaming in the shadows like lamps.

I was debating the pros and cons of going outside versus staying right where I was, when I heard quiet footsteps behind me. "You' catch a cold if you stay outside," Sebastian told me.

"A cold won't kill me," I turned to glance at him. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Don't you sleep? Or does your kind just sort of lurk shadily in the darkness?"

Sebastian smiled and came to stand in front of me. "Demons don't sleep," he informed me. "I wouldn't call it lurking though."

I scoffed. "You're shady anyway," I went back to staring at the stars. Sebastian shifted closer to me, close enough for our arms to brush. I could feel my heart rate increasing, but I still felt rather serene.

"Will you tell me why you we screaming earlier?" He suddenly asked. I looked at him sharply. He smiled at me calmly. "You were saying '_make it stop!_' and you sounded quite distressed. Did you have a nightmare?"

_None of your business. _"Yeah, I did. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I came out here." Outside, Morgan yowled quietly. "I wish she'd come inside," I frowned. "She isn't much for cuddles. I miss Pluto."

I didn't see the frown on Sebastian's face, but I felt it when his fingers tilted my chin up. I stared into his eyes bemusedly. "Why do you love that mutt so much?" He asked me. I blinked. _What?_ "You are forever cuddling and petting it. I can understand your affection for Morgan, but I don't like the way you fawn on that dog."

I scowled at him. "One, Pluto is not a mutt, okay? He is a demon dog, which is a breed on its own…I think…" Were demon dogs considered a proper breed? "And two, I love animals, okay? All animals! I like dogs because they are loyal, and friendly! Also, when you hug them, they don't expect anything in return because being with you is satisfaction enough."

Sebastian's brows pulled together in a frown. "Being with you is satisfaction enough," he repeated slowly. His lips suddenly began to curl upwards in a smirk. "Is that so?"

My eyes narrowed. "What are you thinking of you-!" I gasped when he suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked me against him. "What are you doing?" His arms wrapped around me, trapping me against him. "Let go of me!" I tried to shove him away, but his arms wrapped around me, trapping my arms to my sides.

"No," his lips were just by my ear. "You want to be comforted, right, Thalia?" I kept struggling, even though I knew I couldn't escape. His mouth brushed against my ear, and I shivered. "Let me comfort you tonight."

Slowly, my movements dwindled in force and frequency until they finally stopped altogether. I lowered my head and stared at the buttons on the chest of his uniform. He felt warm, and he was rubbing my back soothingly in soft, large motions. _It can't hurt…_ I leaned against him and let my eyes slide shut. _I guess it wouldn't hurt…_

I don't know how long I leaned against Sebastian. After a while, he stopped stroking me and I felt a gentle pressure on the top of my head. "Let's go back inside, Thalia." I hummed noncommittally and pushed away from him to stand on my own. I shivered as I realized just how cold it was, and quickly walked into the house.

Sebastian drew the door shut behind us once we were inside the house. I yawned, already feeling calm and drowsy. "Thank you, Sebastian," I told him. "I don't know what sudden burst of highly uncharacteristic pleasantness hit you tonight, but I suppose I'm glad that it did."

He feigned a hurt expression. "But aren't I always pleasant, Thalia?"

I snorted, and smiled. "Yes, of course you are Sebastian. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, dear Thalia."

oOo

No more nightmares plagued me the rest of the night. I slept like a log. However, when I woke up, everything that seemed so normal and perfectly alright to me last night, suddenly hit me like a bag of bricks as I was cleaning the parlour, and I froze.

_Shit, I hugged Sebastian! I let him hug me! I LITERALLY JUST MELTED INTO HIS ARMS LIKE ONE OF THOSE SILLY, SPINELESS HEROINES IN ALL THOSE ROMANCE BOOKS! WHAT THE HELL, THALIA? _

I groaned quietly, and went back to dusting with renewed vigour, as if I could get rid of my feelings as easily as I could get rid of dust. And I could. The problem was that, like dust, they would just come back. Usually at a less opportune moment when I really didn't want to have to deal with them.

"Thalia?" I jerked in shock, and turned around to face Sebastian. He was standing at the door and eying the room with a critical eye.

I placed my hands on my hips. "If you're looking for mistakes, then you'll probably find a lot," I informed him. "So don't."

He smiled. "No, that isn't why I came. Although," he came closer to me and took the duster from my hands. "You did miss a few places. Namely…" he suddenly began darting over the room, dusting and polishing like some sort of well oiled, futuristic machine. By the time he was done, the whole room was gleaming. "…there."

I felt my eyebrow twitch, and I snatched the duster from him. "Now that was just you showing off," I scoffed. He opened his mouth. "And if you dare say _I'm just one hell of a butler,_ I will literally shove this duster into your mouth."

"I didn't come here to irritate you, though your anger is…fascinating to watch…" I scowled at him, and his grin widened. "I came to tell you that the young master received a new case from the queen, and he requests that you accompany us."

"Well, since you've finished this place for me," I tossed the duster over my shoulder. "Then fine, I suppose. So, what's the case this time?"

An hour or so later, Sebastian, Ciel and I were walking down the streets of London, having had to take a long carriage ride from the country back to the city. Walking around the city as an actual female citizen was a bit of a novelty for me. I was so used to hiding in the shadows, or hiding my femininity with bandages and a large pageboy hat. To be able to walk around in the daytime so easily as a woman…well…it scared me a little, but it was definitely exhilarating. My hair attracted some attention, but that was alright. I was used to it.

The cool, crispness of autumn had given way to that chilly aura of early winter. It didn't snow much during the daytime, although the air still retained a cool chill that reminded you that it was still wintertime. However, during the night, the ground was usually covered in a soft, powdery layer of falling snow which melted by morning.

Even though he was much younger than we were (and much, _much_ younger than a certain _someone_)Ciel was clearly the one in charge. Sebastian and I stood on either side of him like a pair of bodyguards. I suddenly really missed my knives.

Ciel seemed to know exactly where we were going. After a few minutes of walking, we suddenly spotted a crowd gathered around what appeared to be a some sort of public hanging, except that didn't really happen anymore.

The men dangling from the wooden posts were bound and gagged. There were about five of them in all. Most of them looked rather fat. Ciel smirked. "I see they've already started without me," he murmured.

Scotland Yard was already there. I could see the chief inspector was already in the front, along with another inspector. A few policemen were already pulling down the bodies and covering them up with blankets. I assumed that the people weren't dead, otherwise the police wouldn't be treating the bodies to gently.

We made our way to the front like the crowd wasn't even there. I suppose that was Sebastian's fault, what with his ability to glare a demon dog into total submission, I doubt mere humans would be able to withstand it.

I leaned over Ciel as he read over the arm of the younger inspector. "A series of incidents targeting those who have returned from India?" He summarised from the report on the paper.

"Master Ciel!" He seemed surprised to see Ciel, though it wasn't like we had made our presence much of a secret anyway.

"It seems like there haven't been any fatalities yet," Ciel commented thoughtfully. I watched with a small smile as he walked over to the chief inspector and plucked a paper out of his hands. "_Crazy and lazy children, _huh?" He read aloud. I moved closer to his side while Sebastian hung back. "Well, the culprit's choice of wording seems highly appropriate," he remarked. "I also think the country would be much better off without the nouveau riche who come back from India. At any rate, this mark…"

At the lower left corner of the paper was what appeared to be a crude drawing of a mouth with a tongue sticking out. Before I could get a better look at it, the paper was snatched out of Ciel's hands. I folded my arms across my chest and narrowed my gaze at the man. "They're making fun of us Englishmen," the chief inspector growled. "And Her Majesty the Queen!"

I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. "Not really," I pointed out. "The queen really has nothing to do with this, actually." _She doesn't do too much anyway._

He growled at me. "Who is she?" He jerked his head at me. "Is she a new bodyguard of yours?" He asked mockingly.

Ciel smirked lightly. "Something like that," he raised his head. "Would you like a demonstration?" I smiled sweetly at the man when he glanced over at me.

"…no, I don't think so," he shook his head. Maybe he had seen Sebastian before, and he was afraid that Ciel had found someone like him. _I wish, although I can do some damage. _"At any rate," he continued. "The culprit has to be an Indian!"

"Ah," Ciel nodded. "So that's the reason I was called out. The vast majority of Indians that have been smuggled into the country are situated in the East End underworld society. Scotland Yard still has no idea of the exact number of Indians, or their precise locations."

You could practically see the vein about to explode from the chief inspector's forehead. Ciel could not have sounded more condescending if he'd tried.

"Well, we cannot sit idly by while the royal family is slandered," he turned to leave. "Let's go, Thalia, Sebastian." As we walked away, I could sense the angry gaze of the chief inspector. I turned my head and caught his eyes. A brief flash of recognition flashed in his eyes, and I looked away.

Sebastian glanced down at me. "What was that?"

I smiled and shrugged. "Oh, I just wanted to be sure he remembered who I was." Sebastian clearly wasn't satisfied with my answer, but he couldn't pump me for anything while Ciel was around.

The funny thing was that, even if Ciel hadn't known where the Indians were, I did. As a child, and as an orphan, I used to wander all over London, especially the most deplorable parts of it. Occasionally, I had found my way into Indian territory. Unfortunately, not all of them cared about being very nice to an Englishwoman, especially a child. I was easy meat.

I wondered if Scotland Yard could have hauled me in and forced me to tell them what I knew. They probably would have.

"This is where most Indians hang around," I said, as our surroundings changed from the clean, swept streets, to the rough cobblestones and dirty, blackened-brick houses. I frowned slightly. "Huh, it really hasn't changed much since the last time I was here."

Ciel glanced at me curiously. "You've been here before? Interesting…" Because he was taking in his surroundings and not watching where he was going, he accidentally bumped into a hunched over Indian man.

I was prepared to make Ciel apologize for knocking into him (because I was 98% sure he wouldn't do it on his own) but then the guy began to overreact. "Ow!" He clutched at his chest dramatically. "Oh, it's so painful!" He groaned. "I think my ribs may be broken! Damn it, I might die!"

We stared at the man as he began to moan and groan in apparent pain. It was clear that he was faking it. I had seen broken ribs and fractures before, and if his rib had been broken, he'd be doing less talking and more screaming. Anyway, you couldn't die from a broken rib unless it pierced your heart or lungs.

Unfortunately, not everyone else seemed to think so. The almost empty strip of street we were on suddenly filled up with hostile Indians who had caught wind of the situation. "Hey, what's going on? This is terrible! You broke this man's rib? You should leave us everything you own in payment for a doctor!"

Sebastian turned slightly to assess the situation. "We seem to have been surrounded by rather loutish thugs."

I sighed. "And to think we tried so hard not to draw attention to ourselves." I let my arms dangle loosely at my sides and eyed our opponents critically.

"Young master," Sebastian cracked his knuckles in preparation for what was to come. "What are your orders?"

Ciel barely raised his head. "Take care of this quickly," he ordered. One of the men, the one with the supposedly broken rib, grabbed Ciel by the front of his shirt and yanked him forward.

"All the Indians here have a grudge against you English," he snarled in his face, and then he held up a rather sharp dagger to his face. I had to give Ciel credit, he barely flinched. Still, I didn't take to kindly to the way the man was holding him, or to the knife in his hand. I stepped forward and, with one hand, pulled Ciel out of his grip. With the other hand, I jabbed the man squarely in the chest. He fell backwards, clearly winded and gasping for air.

"I thought your rib was broken," I pushed Ciel behind me. "That move should have killed you."

"Are you alright, young master?" Sebastian asked. Ciel nodded, adjusting his hat carefully.

The man staggered to his feet with a snarl. "You bitch! You English are all the same! After dragging us all the way out here, you just threw us away like junk! You raped and looted our country!" I winced at his choice of words. "Now it's your turn to taste the humiliation of being looted and pillaged!" The man raised his knife. Sebastian and I prepared to defend Ciel.

And then... "Wait!" We paused and turned towards the sound of the voice. There was an Indian man walking out of one of the alleys.

He was quite handsome, I decided, and young. He was either in his late teens, or early twenties, and he was dressed rather regally. There was another man with him. This one has a bit taller, and had a sort of turban around his head, and white bandages wrapped around his right hand. Judging that his hand did not seem to be injured in any way, I decided that he had to be a fighter, most likely the man's bodyguard.

He walked closer and held up a paper with crudely drawn picture of a woman. "We are looking for someone. Have you seen this woman?" The image looked like a six year old had done it. The only way to identify the image as female were the rough lines streaming out of what appeared to be the head. I bit down on my bottom lip to hide my smile.

The Indian man that had been in the middle of looting and pillaging us spun around to growl at him. "What do you want, you bastard? Don't interrupt me!"

"Are you having a duel or something?" He came closer, smiling now. He had pretty golden eyes. "Oh, the child has two _khansamas_ with him. Are you an English noble?"

Ciel's eyes narrowed. "And what if I am?"

"In that case," he stopped beside the other man. "Then I shall side with my countrymen in this quarrel," he turned to the man behind him. "Agni."

"Yes?" I stared at Agni, glad to have a name. He looked older, and sterner than his master, and his hair was white. He was also handsome in a stricter, sadder sort of way.

"Defeat them." _Wait, what? _To think, we only came here to look for culprits.

"_Jo ajna_," he stepped forward and began to unwrap the bandages from his hand. "My right hand, blessed by god, shall only be wielded for my master!" He suddenly charged at us with almost superhuman speed.

I grabbed Ciel and hefted him into my arms, bridal style. "I'm just gonna let Sebastian handle this. You, come with me," I jumped out of the way with him just as Agni struck at Sebastian. I knew my strengths, I really did, and I knew that this fight was Sebastian's. Agni was fast, very fast, and his right hand seemed to glow with energy. Right now, all I could do was take care of Ciel and make sure no one tried to grab him while Sebastian was occupied.

He, on the other hand, did not seem too happy about it. "Oi, put me down!"

"In a second," I rolled out of the way as Agni landed where we had previously been a few seconds ago. "Or not. Just hold on, alright?" Thank god I was strong, and that I had the speed and stamina to do this. You thinking jumping from place to place while carrying a thirteen year old boy? Yes, Ciel is a bit of a lightweight, but still.

Agni glared at Sebastian. "I've hit your vital points several times now," he stared at the demon. "You should already be paralysed. How can you still move?" _Take it from someone who has tried, that shit does not work on him._

I put Ciel down and grabbed his cane from the ground while he snapped at the Indians. "Hey, we were just passing through here!" He yelled. "Are Indians barbarians who discriminate with no discretion?"

"What?" The Indian man with the purple hair looked surprised, and then he glared at the others. "You people, did you attack this little one here for no reason?" Their nervous faces were answer enough. "That is not right. This time, my countrymen are at fault. Agni, take the little one's side."

I sweatdropped at the sudden change in sides. "Understood." Five seconds later, there was a pile of unconscious Indian men strewn on the streets. The ones that could get away had disappeared as quickly as possible. "It's taken care of, Prince Soma." _Wait, _my eyes widened as I stared at the man. _He's a prince? Well, that makes sense._

"That's good." The prince, Soma, walked forward and picked up Ciel's hat from the ground. "Well, I was in the middle of searching for someone, so I had better get going," he tossed the hat to me. "See you." And with that, they both walked away like nothing important had happened. I wondered if this sort of thing happened normally in India, or if he just didn't care.

oOo

We returned to the mansion, silently declaring that day to be a bust, but I could tell that Ciel and Sebastian were still thinking about the Indian prince and his butler. It was dark and pouring with rain by the time we got home. "I'm completely drained," Ciel sighed as I opened the door for him, and then shook out the umbrella and hung it up by the door.

"The culprit may have been one of those Indian people," Sebastian said as he removed Ciel's cloak. "Let us await Master Randall's report." Finny, Bard and Mey-Rin came to welcome us back. I smiled and went to stand beside Mey-Rin. I wanted to tell her about the day, although I already knew what part would really interest her.

Ciel huffed. "If I keep getting called out to London for all these trivial cases, there'll be no end to it."

At that moment, the front door flew open and one of my least favourite people in the world appeared in the frame. "Ah, Earl!" Lau beamed. "So you really did come!" _Someone restrain me, hold me down, tie me up, because I might just do something drastic._ His gaze landed on me and his smile widened. "Oh, Ms. Thalia, have you tried out my gift?"

Finny immediately grabbed my arms before I could do anything stupid, so all I could do was shoot knives at him via my gaze. Ciel didn't seem too happy to see him either. "You're always so unannounced! I keep telling you that, if you want to visit, at least send a letter or something first!" _Or, better yet, don't come at all._

Lau just laughed carelessly. "Oh, have you said that before?"

Sebastian turned to Ciel. "Since we have a guest now, I shall go prepare some tea," his gaze slid to me. "Thalia will help me." I blinked and stared at Sebastian curiously. Finny released my arms as he continued. "Unless you want her to attack the guest." I blushed slightly and stopped growling at Lau.

Ciel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Both of you, go, and hurry back."

"I'd prefer an English Chai blend," Lau piped up cheerfully. I glared at him. _Does this look like a restaurant to you? _Sebastian grabbed my arm, almost as though he could see the inner workings of my mind and knew that I was a second away from knocking the guy unconscious and kicking him into the cold and rain.

I pouted up at him. He just smiled and patted my head like I was Morgan, and then I spotted two more people in the doorway. Two, very familiar people.

Standing in the doorway of the mansion was the Indian prince and his bodyguard or – what had he called him before? – his _khansama_. "Oh, I met them on my way here," Lau waved a hand at them. "Just around the corner, actually, and they said they wanted to meet the Earl."

Ciel looked beyond shocked, and very annoyed. I assumed that meeting someone who was on par with Sebastian, and who wasn't a demon, rattled him. Sebastian didn't seem to put off though. Being a rather ancient demon, I was sure he had experienced something like that before. "Why are you here?"

"Why?" The prince smiled. "We got acquainted earlier, did we not?"

"Acquainted?" Ciel repeated.

"Also, we saved you," Prince Soma added as they made their way past us and into the house. _Polite, they are not. He is a prince though, so he's probably used to people stepping aside for him._ I wasn't sure whether to like him or not.

At least Ciel had already made up his mind about the young Prince. "Saved me?" He choked. "How did you save me?"

He didn't answer the question. "In India, hosting people to whom you are indebted to is common sense," he said over his shoulder. "Or is it the English custom to throw visitors out under the cold sky?"

_Of course not, but at least have some manners._ I folded my arms across my chest._ Don't just waltz around like you own the place. When in Rome, right?_ I glared at his back. Since he didn't stop, we followed him up the stairs and found him making himself comfortable in one of the spare rooms. "Who are you anyway?" Ciel snapped at him.

"Me?" Prince Soma smiled. "I am a prince."

"A prince?" Sebastian repeated. _Well, yeah. Were none of you listening earlier?_ The other servants crowded the door to get a look at him.

The prince's _khansama_, Agni, finally spoke. "This person before you is the Bengal Kingdom's Prince, the 26th successor: Prince Soma Asman Cadart." _Impressive title, _my eyes narrowed, _too bad I really don't care._

He smiled charmingly. "I'll be imposing on you for a while, Little One." _Ooh, Ciel won't like that._

"Wow, a Prince!" Finny cheered.

"A...A prince!" Mey-Rin was probably comparing him to one of the characters in one of her books. I was surprised her nose wasn't spurting like mount Vesuvius.

Even Bard wasn't spared from this horrifying bout of excitement. "This is the first time I've seen a real prince in the flesh!"

He just smiled, like he knew the effect his presence had on them. "I consent," he waved a hand regally. "You may come closer." _What the fuck? Who the hell do you think you are? This isn't even your house you jerk! Stop acting like you deserve any of this you arrogant, pompous brat! _

I said none of these things aloud. Partially because I have self-control, and mostly because Sebastian quickly covered my mouth with one gloved hand before I could. Bard, Mey-Rin, and Finny, immediately ran over to him, practically falling over themselves to ask questions.

Lau wandered over to us. "So you brought servants this time?"

"Yes," Sebastian nodded. "We have a guard dog to protect the manor while we're away now."

"Eh? Well that must be a relief."

Sebastian removed his hand from my mouth and I folded my arms across my chest with a quiet huff of air. "Keep a close eye on them," Ciel murmured to us.

"Understood," Sebastian bowed at the waist. I hummed my agreement.


	14. Arrogance and Sword Fights

**Behold, a double chapter because I love all of you so much! *blows kisses* I don't own Black Butler whatsoever!**

**Arrogance and Sword Fights**

The Indian guests we had made dinner rather awkward. First Soma wanted to sit at the head of the table where Ciel usually sat, which just caused a full minute of intense eye contact, and then Ciel arched an eyebrow and asked the kid "what do you think you are doing?"

In the end, after a few more glares, some muttered insults, and some serious diplomatic wrangling by Sebastian and Agni, Soma finally consented to sitting at Ciel's right. I didn't say a word, as I was still on Ciel's side. I didn't care for Soma much. He acted spoiled, like the whole world had to defer to him just because he happened to be a prince. He hadn't worked to gain the title, and it didn't look like he was doing anything to be worthy of it.

Unfortunately, he seemed to hold a sort of childlike fascination with my hair. He kept staring at my braid while I was cleaning up the dining table. It was a bit creepy, but not much. It was mostly just a tad disconcerting.

The next morning, I woke up a full thirty minutes earlier than usual the next morning, which was odd considering for me because I really liked sleeping. There were only three reasons for me to wake up very early in the morning:

One, Sebastian came to wake me up in his typical _I'm-taking-great-pleasure-in-your-pain_ sort of way.

Two, Pluto came to wake me up by howling randomly outside my window until I came outside and scratched his belly.

Finally three, something was intrinsically different about the day.

This time, it had to be three. We had guests staying over. I sighed and flopped backwards onto my pillow. Even if I didn't care much, my body said otherwise. A part of me was interested about the Indian guests we had, even if I didn't care too much for them. Or, at least, I didn't care much for the prince. I didn't know enough about Agni to form a reasonable impression, other than that he was extremely loyal. I guess that's a good thing, right?

After lying in bed for ten minutes, just staring at the ceiling and trying to fall back asleep, I finally rolled out from underneath my covers and stretched. I bathed quickly, paying special attention to the back of my neck. Whatever Sebastian had seen there, and whatever that puppet had known, it had to be something weird.

I ran a hand over the skin with a frown, and then I sighed and climbed out of the bath. I quickly donned my uniform and met Sebastian in front of my door. "Oh," he blinked. "I see that you're already up."

Was it just me, or did he look disappointed. I smirked and folded my arms across my chest. "Yeah, sorry I denied you our daily pleasure of kicking me out of bed," I walked out the room and watched him shut the door behind me. "Are you going to wake Ciel up now?" I quizzed him. Sebastian nodded. I followed him to Ciel's bedroom.

"Hmm," Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Why is the door already open? It is unlikely the young master actually woke up by himself…"

We got closer to the open door, and I was nearly tackled by Prince Soma on his way out. He was holding Ciel in his arms. The poor kid was still in his bedclothes, and he looked really put out by all of this. I giggled quietly, and neatly plucked him out of Soma's hands. "Yeah, I'll be taking _him_, thank you." Even though Ciel didn't like being carried by me, he definitely preferred it to being carted around by the prince. "Good morning young master!" I cooed.

He scowled at me. "Be quiet."

I pouted and stuck my tongue out at him. "You know, you could stand to be a bit nicer. You're going to get a lot of wrinkles if you keep scowling at everything."

He just scowled some more. "Shut up, Thalia," he repeated.

"See? I can see some forming already!"

"I said shut up! It's too early for all of this!"

Sebastian sighed at the two of us, and then he smiled politely at Soma and Agni. "I'm sorry to intrude," he said. "But the young master has studies and work duties to attend to today, and so will be busy for most of the day."

"See, the young master is a very busy person right now," I smiled prettily at them. "So, if you don't mind, I'll take you to the dining room for breakfast." I handed Ciel to Sebastian and walked out of the room. When I glanced behind me, the two of them were following me.

Almost as soon as we were out of the room, Soma jogged to catch up with me. He was smiling widely at me. "I've never seen hair like yours before," he commented curiously. "It's two different colours. Is this common in your country?"

"No," I replied. "My hair is actually one of a kind, as far as I can tell." I couldn't help reaching back and grabbing the long braid I had tied my hair into. White, pure white, all the way down to the blood-red tips.

Soma jumped in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. "It's very beautiful," he complimented me warmly. "Don't you think so, Agni?" He turned to the man behind us.

Agni turned to me with an equally warm, if not as careless, smile and a bow. "Your hair is very unique and lovely, Miss Thalia."

I thawed just a tad. For all Prince Soma's rude actions, he seemed honest enough, and he could be rather nice. Agni also seemed to be quite sweet as well. Certainly he was loyal, and willing to do anything for his master. He was a bit like Sebastian, only he wasn't an evil, soul-sucking demon forced into pre-determined submission by a Faustian contract.

I gave the two of them a less fake smile, and we resumed the walk to the dining room.

oOo

The first lesson Ciel had after breakfast was a violin lesson, with Sebastian as his teacher. I was sitting on a cheer a few feet away watching Ciel tune the stringed instrument, and then eye the sheet music resting on the stand with irritation. "_Bach's Chaconne?_" He glared up at Sebastian. "There is no way I can play a melody as complex as-!"

Sebastian tipped his chin up with the tip of his own violin bow. "While we are here, I make the rules," he smirked down at Ciel, probably basking in the flip in power. "Do you have a problem with my teaching methods?"

Ciel scowled and pushed Sebastian's bow away from his face. I giggled quietly, and he turned and glared at me. "And why are _you_ here?" He snapped. "Don't you have chores to do?"

"In fact, I do not," I smiled and lifted my hands in a shrug. "I like music. Think of me as an unofficial judge. If I wince, scream, and run out of the room with my hands over my ears, then you know you've done something wrong."The scowl on his face only became more pronounced. "At any rate, I'm sure you can play it."

Ciel turned his back on me and arranged the instrument under his chin. He took a deep breath and placed the bow to the strings. My eyes slid shut as the music began to flow from the violin's strings. It was beautiful, not entirely flawless, but still very well played. I had always wanted to be able to play proper songs on an instrument. Sadly, all I knew how to play were raunchy tunes on the piano.

A sudden sound snapped me out of my thoughts. It sounded like loud chanting, and low hums. I glanced around the room and quickly spotted the source of the strange sounds.

The prince and Agni had managed to carry a huge statue into the music room. They had placed it on top of the piano, and were currently kneeling at its feet and praying. "Did anyone see how they got that in here?" I wondered.

The violin music cut off sharply. "What on earth?" Ciel stared at the statue.

"It seems like they're praying," Lau said. "But that is a rather fantastic idol, isn't it?" I walked over to it, curiousity overtaking me for a moment. He was right, it was rather fantastic to look at. It was also a bit terrifying. I wanted to reach out and touch it, but I didn't.

Sebastian came to stand next to me. "All I can see is a statue of a woman carrying a head," he said, nonplussed. "With a necklace of heads around her neck, and dancing on the belly of a man."

"She has four arms," I noted with interest. "I've seen a picture of her somewhere before. Is she one of the Hindu goddesses?" Sometimes, if I managed to get cleaned up enough, and I had nothing to do, I would spend time in libraries reading the books. They helped kill time, and provided me with something to muse on later.

Agni looked at me, apparently impressed. "You know a little about Hindu culture," he smiled. I blushed slightly at his praise, and deliberately avoided Ciel's gaze. "She is the goddess Kali," he explained. "She is one of the Hindu gods we worship.

Ciel stopped staring at me so pointedly, and I relaxed. "Indian goddesses, huh?"

"Kali is the wife of Shiva, the god of power," Agni went on. "In far distant times, a demon recklessly challenged her to a fight. Of course, the goddess Kali won. However, she was unable to quell her destructive urges and she went on a rampage of death and destruction!"

Though neither Ciel nor Sebastian seemed to care too much, I was spellbound by the story. I could almost see it in my mind's eye. Flames, darkness, and a woman with a necklace of newly beheaded heads around her neck.

"In a bid to defend the earth," Agni pointed at the statue. "Her husband, the god Shiva, lay down at her feet. Having stepped on her husband with her unclean feet, the goddess Kali returned to her senses and the earth became peaceful once again," he resumed his prayerful pose once again. "Kali is a great goddess who defeated a demon after a mighty battle. As proof of this, she holds the demon's head in her hands."

"Whoa…" I gaped up at the statue, seeing it in a new light.

Ciel glanced back at Sebastian. "Is there any truth to this story?"

"To think there was someone as strong as that," Sebastian looked thoughtful. "I will have to be careful if I ever go to India." I couldn't help snickering at that.

The prince got up. "Well, our prayers are concluded," he beamed and suddenly hooked his arms around both Ciel and I. "Well then, let's go out!"

"What?" I yelped. "Why am I included in this now?"

Ciel struggled wildly in his grip. "Like I said before, I'm busy today!" He yelled at Soma. "So could you kindly let go?"

Soma stopped and pouted. "But I want to go out," he frowned, and then he beamed. "Oh, could your maid show us around instead?" He released Ciel and turned to me. "I want to talk to her more." I simultaneously blushed and sweatdropped. The first reaction was because what he said was kind of flirtatious and I have no idea how to respond to non-lecherous flirting. I either stare blankly and then shoot the person down like a bison during hunting season, or I blush. There is no in-between.

The second reaction was because I could nearly _feel_ the evil aura pouring off Sebastian. Even though he was still wearing that calm, polite smile, there was an undertone to it that said _I-will-slaughter-you-violently-and-then-burn-everything-you-hold-dear_.

Fortunately, he managed to hold himself in check. "I'm sorry, but Thalia will also be busy today with chores," he said. I blinked and stared at him with confusion. _Since when do I have chores?_ He turned his smile to me, only this time it mostly resembled a smirk. "Her first set of chores will be fetching the fencing swords for the next part of the young master's lesson."

I pouted and twisted myself out of Soma's hold to walk over to the set of fencing swords parked in the corner near the window. "Huh," I pulled out one and eyed the blunt, rounded tip. "I've never seen one of these in real life before." It was lighter than I expected, and rather flexible. I pulled out another one and twirled both of them experimentally.

Ciel cleared his throat. "Sometime today, perhaps?" He arched an eyebrow meaningfully. I stuck my tongue out at him and tossed one of the swords to him. The other went to Sebastian. I went to stand beside Agni while they trained. Ciel was quite talented with the sword, I noted. I smiled slightly as I watched him dodge and parry the attacks.

"Tea?" I blinked and stared at Agni. He was holding out a cup of tea to me. It smelled very aromatic, very different from the English teas Ciel drank all the time. I accepted the cup with a grateful smile and took a sip. It tasted like flowers and hot nectar.

Agni and I sipped and watched Ciel and Sebastian. Soma, on the other hand, lay flopped down on a floor pillow. "Hey, when are you going to be finished?" He moaned occasionally. "Hey, what are you doing anyway?" He sounded like a spoiled child. _He is a spoiled child,_ I reminded myself.

His groans were getting to Ciel, who nearly missed a parry. "Be quiet!" He snapped. "You'll distract us!"

Soma sighed and leaned his chin against his hand. "English people are very short-tempered, aren't they?" He commented. "They're always snapping all the time." I twitched, but concentrated on my tea. That tea was the only thing keeping me calm, and preventing me from throwing him out of the room. Well, the tea and Agni's scary-fast right hand.

Ciel cracked. He snatched the other fencing sword out of Sebastian's hand. "Enough!" He yelled, turning to Prince Soma with a furious glare. "I get it! You want my attention so badly, then here!" He tossed the sword to Soma. "I'll be your opponent!"

Soma caught the sword by the hilt with a pleased smirk, even though I had wished that it would knock him in the face. "So, if I win, you'll come out with us?" He asked. Ciel agreed to the terms with a reluctant nod. "Then I accept!"

"Good luck," Agni said.

"Go Ciel!" I cheered, and then I held out my cup to Agni. "More tea please." I was going to need it. I sipped more of the fragrant liquid as Sebastian made his way between them and raised his hand for the start of the match. The look on his face was amusing, I thought. He looked so done with everything.

"Well then," he brought his hand down. "Begin!"

Soma immediately rushed Ciel, and tried to trip him up with the sword, which bent. The shocked look on his face made me wonder if he had even _looked_ at the thing in his hands. _At least he can dodge_, I thought as he proceeded to duck most of Ciel's attacks. "This is unfair!" He yelled. "I don't know the rules to this!"

_Then you should have asked._ "A match is a match," Ciel made a false jab and pulled back. "It's your fault for not knowing." He suddenly rushed Soma, and would probably have flipped the prince's weapon out of his hands, if not for a rather sudden interference.

"Prince!" Suddenly, Agni was no longer beside me. The white haired Indian blocked the tip of the foil with a cup, and the jabbed Ciel in the arm. Once he realised what he had done, he gasped. "Master Ciel!"

Unfortunately for him, I was faster than his remorse. I was at Ciel's side in the next second, and I slapped his hands away when he reached for the boy. "Don't touch him!" I snapped, not sure who I was more angry with: Agni, or Soma. I helped Ciel cradle his partially paralysed arm to his chest, before turning my anger on them. "What the hell?" I snapped at Agni. "Why would you do that?"

He, at least, looked penitent. "I'm sorry," he bowed. "When I thought that the prince was about to lose, my body moved on its own."

Like I said, at least _he_ seemed truly sorry for what he had done. Soma, on the other hand, burst out laughing. "Well done Agni," he praised. "You protected me well! I commend you!" He smirked proudly. "Agni is my _khansama_, and he belongs to me, therefore the win was mine."

I bristled. No, actually, I developed spines like a porcupine and then those spines lit on fire. "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard," I snarled, getting to my feet. "You would have lost if Agni hadn't stepped in, and he shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place! Or don't you understand the point of one-on-one competitions?"

Agni blinked at me, clearly surprised by my anger, but I couldn't help it. Soma was really getting on my nerves. Ciel reached out and tugged on my skirt. With great reluctance, I stopped glaring at Prince Soma and leaned down to help my young master to his feet. "My, my," Lau picked up a foil with a smile. "The maid is quite upset. It looks like you will have to take your master's revenge, Mr. Butler," he flipped the blade to Sebastian, who caught it expertly.

"Good grief," he sighed. "This happened because you teased an amateur." _No, this happened because Soma was acting like a brat! _Both Ciel and I turned to glare at Sebastian simultaneously. "Nonetheless, as a Phantomhive butler, now that my master has been injured I cannot merely sit back and watch." I relaxed and folded my arms across my chest. "At any rate, we are ten minutes behind schedule."

Ciel facepalmed. "So that's what you were really worried about."

"This is not the time to be worried about that!" I snapped at the glanced down at me out of the corner of his eyes with a smirk on his face.

Soma rested the fencing sword on his shoulder. "Fine," he acquiesced. "I will allow a duel. Agni," he passed the sword to the man. "In the name of the goddess Kali, do not lose!"

Ciel touched his eye-patch and glared at Soma. "Sebastian, this is an order," he said. "Shut that brat up!" _Well that could be construed in many ways,_ I thought as the two men stood opposite each other. _It could range from winning this fight, to sewing his mouth shut with a red hot, sterilised needle._

"_Jo ajna_."

"Yes, my lord."

I moved between them and raised my arm to mark the beginning of the fight. "Begin!"


	15. The Difference in Butlers

**I don't own Black Butler. Sorry, this is a hurried update because I have school and my head hurts :P**

**The Difference in Butlers**

Ten minutes later, Ciel, Soma and I stared in absolute shock at the sight before us. The foils had snapped. The foils had freaking snapped, I didn't even know that was physically possible! What were the odds of something like that happening? What the hell, who the heck was this guy? He had gone against a freaking demon and he was still standing!

Soma, on the other hand, once he recovered from his surprise, he seemed pleased with the outcome of the fight though. "Wow, your _khansama _is pretty good," he complimented Ciel. "Agni is the best fighter in my castle. This is the first time I've met someone who can fight on par with him!" We were barely listening to him. I could tell Ciel was just as stunned as I was.

I followed him as he went to stand beside Sebastian. "What the hell just happened?" I stared at Agni as he walked back to his prince and the two of them began to converse.

"Sebastian," Ciel's eyes narrowed. "Just what is that man?" He asked. "Don't tell me he's another one of _those._"

"By _those_, do you mean something like that thing you tried to sell Sebastian to?" Grell's face flashed in my mind and I shuddered.

Sebastian looked like he wanted to shudder as well, and then he just smiled easily. He didn't look at all put out by the fact that he had drawn with a human. I wasn't sure whether to punch him or applaud his good sportsmanship. "No," he replied. "He's certainly human through and through."

"But so much power in one man," I hissed at the two of them. "It doesn't seem possible for him to be entirely human."

Ciel hummed his agreement. Sebastian watched Agni quietly. "Still, it would make it extremely easy for him to hang those men," he pointed out. My eyes widened in shock as his words rang true. Still, I wasn't sure why Agni would do that. He didn't seem like that sort of person at all. He seemed like a genuinely good person, unlike his master. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on them."

"Are you done speaking?" I turned to stare at Prince Soma and Agni. "It's rather late now," he beamed at us cheerfully, everything from the past few minutes were already forgotten. "When do we eat?"

* * *

oOo

* * *

I sweatdropped as I watched Bard attempt to start preparing dinner on his own, only for Sebastian to appear and snatch the pots and pans out of his hands as he picked them up. "I'll make the preparations," he told the blonde man calmly. "You just remain calm and stay put." I sighed and leaned against the counter. _Well, he does sort of have a point,_ I thought to myself. _I'm tired of cleaning the charred remains of the food out of the oven._

"What the–?" Bard gaped at Sebastian's back. "I was going to make my special dish today!" He complained. He suddenly turned to me after seeing that Sebastian wasn't even listening. "Thalia, tell him that I'm the chef and so I should do the cooking!"

I stared at him blankly. "Why me?" I asked. "He doesn't listen to me! I'm not allowed to cook either!" I think that one time was a fluke of luck, or just him being oddly lenient. "Besides, you do have a habit of putting dynamite in the food…" I shrugged. "Forgive me if I'm not so quick to defend your cooking skills."

Bard scowled down at me. "Ugh, I should have known you'd never go against that butler," he grunted. "You like him too much, dontcha?" Bard teased. I flushed bright red – for crying out loud, the person in question was still right _here!_ – and then I raised a hand to punch him in the face.

"Excuse me." I quickly dropped my hand and twisted my head to look at the doorway. Agni stood politely, just barely crossing the threshold. Unlike Prince Soma, who would have waltzed right in and everyone else be damned, he seemed to understand the basic points of being courteous. "Mr. Sebastian, I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help."

I blinked and placed a hand on my hip. "It is all in hand," Sebastian replied politely. "You should go back and relax now."

Agni took another step into the kitchen. "Four hands are better than two," he said earnestly. "If there is something I can do, please let me know."

Sebastian frowned slightly, I got the feeling he didn't like anyone messing with his schedule, and then the frown was replaced by an affable, close-eyed smile. "Well then," he began. "Might I ask you to help with the preparation of the gooseberry sauce and the cottage pie for tonight's main dish?"

"Of course," Agni bowed slightly at the waist with a smile. _The hell? _I narrowed my gaze pointedly at Sebastian.

"How come we don't get to cook when we're actual servants here?" I scowled as he just walked past me without even glancing my way. I was so sure he was smirking. However, as he walked past Agni to leave the kitchen, I sensed a shift in his emotions: distrust, annoyance, and some curiousity. Since when was so in tune with Sebastian's moods? I sighed. "I told you he doesn't listen to me," I glanced at Bard.

Bard exhaled a disappointed, angry sigh, and flopped down on the short stool in the kitchen. I stared at him for a moment, and then stared at the pile of ingredients on the table. _So many vegetables, so many ingredients…_ I considered the theory that the reasoning behind Sebastian's actions in letting Agni cook was that he was actually pissed off about the fight, and wanted to prove that he was still the better butler.

I shook my head to dispel those thoughts, and twirled the vegetable knife on the table. Sebastian was above petty games like that, wasn't he? He was centuries old. He couldn't be thinking like that.

_Still..._ "Chef?" I jerked myself out of my thoughts. "Mr. Chef?" _Chef? Who is Agni talking to?_ And then I remembered that Bard was still there.

Even he seemed confused by the fact that someone was calling him by his actual household position. Sometimes I wondered why Ciel had even bothered hiring any other household staff. Sebastian could do everything they could, and a box of chocolates. Sometimes I even wondered why he had hired _me_.

"Who, me?" Bard pointed at himself to be sure it was to him Agni was referring.

Agni nodded with a smile. "I am not that accustomed to English cooking," he explained. "May I ask for your assistance?"

_No, don't do it!_ I wanted to I wanted to yell, but I didn't. Why? Because Bard looked so damned _happy_. As though, in that singular moment, all of his life dreams were coming true. I couldn't crush that. I sighed and went back to playing with the knife. As long as not a lick of gunpowder or explosives got close to oven, it would be fine.

"Miss. Thalia?" I jumped and stared at him blankly. I had forgiven him for popping Ciel in the arm, but I was still just a bit wary of him. However, his smile seemed disarmingly honest. "Do you think you could help me cut up the peppers?"

Bard was already hard at work, lining up onions, and then dicing them finely. He was actually quite good, I noted. Why wasn't he always like this? I turned my attention back to the man in front of me. "Yeah, sure…" I grabbed one of the bell peppers and began slicing it into strips. I quickly fell into the work, slicing bell pepper after bell pepper like some sort of machine. I loved how sharp the knives were, and how easily they cut through the peppers.

Agni inspected a pot of boiling potatoes on the fire with a prong. Every so often, he reached for one of the peppers or onions and tossed it into the frying pan. While we were working, the back door cracked open and Finny poked his head inside. "What's for dinner?" He asked, practically salivating. "It smells delicious!"

"Young man, you came at just the right time!" Agni smiled at him. "Could you assist us in preparing tonight's dinner?"

"Really, me?" Finny looked ecstatic. Apparently he was also another person Sebastian had denied kitchen rights to. He suddenly frowned. "But I'm strong and clumsy, so Sebastian says I should stay away from the kitchenware." _No, my baby! Don't look sad!_

"If you are strong then that is a good thing," Agni said. "We're supposed to strain the potatoes after crushing them, but it is quite a demanding task. Can you help us?"

Finny beamed. "I can do that!" He cheered. "Let me do that, please!" I smiled and shifted my work so that Finny could work beside me. He handled the strainer so delicately, and seemed so focused and so _happy _to be doing something so menial.

It suddenly struck me, as we worked together in the kitchen, side by side, that _this_ was the fundamental difference between Sebastian and Agni (apart from, you know, one of them being a demon and stuff). Sebastian believed that he could do everything himself, screw the world and everyone in it. And, indeed, he could do many things by himself.

Agni, on the other hand, in the space of a few minutes, had managed to fill the kitchen with a sense of communal wellbeing. He had also made everyone feel better about themselves and their own talents.

Plus, he had let Bard cook and the kitchen hadn't blown up yet.

Also,I think Mey-Rin had developed a minor crush on him.

I stopped thinking about these things, went back to chopping up the peppers alongside Mey-Rin, who was peeling the carrots. At that moment, Sebastian returned. "How are things progressing, Mr. Agni?" He called out as he walked into the kitchen, probably expecting chaos or scorch marks. The look of shock on his face was enough to make me giggle.

Agni covered the pot and turned to smile at Sebastian happily. "Thanks to everyone's help, it looks like dinner will be delicious." I couldn't help feeling a bit like a traitor for liking Agni just a _tiny_ bit more than I liked Sebastian. I mean, Agni had never whacked me upside the head for anything. He was also much nicer than Sebastian.

_But wasn't Sebastian the one who hugged you to nights ago? Who embraced you and gave you warmth, and he didn't tease you about it the next morning?_

True. I felt the thing at the back of my neck begin to burn slightly, like a slight irritation, like a rash, but when I reached up to scratch it I couldn't feel anything. I noticed Sebastian watching me, and I looked away quickly. "You are amazing to have got that lot to help you," he commented as he began to cut the fish.

'_That lot'? Well thanks a bunch, Sebastian. _I frowned and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Everyone is born with their own talent," Agni explained sagely. "They have a duty and a path laid out by the gods, and we must abide by that and do what we can." _Do you even know who you're talking too?_ I dropped the last of the vegetables into the bowl and wiped my hands on the front of my apron. I scratched the back of my neck again and frowned. _Is something going on with that mark? _I frowned and bit my bottom lip worriedly.

Although I wasn't entirely freaked out about whatever was on my neck, it still bothered me a bit. I suddenly wanted to know what it was. I turned to Mey-Rin. "Hey, Mey-Rin, are you done?" I asked her.

"Yes," she nodded, washing the last of the newly peeled carrots and placing them in the bowl. She turned to me curiously. "Did you want something, Thalia?"

I nodded and motioned for her to follow me out into the corridor. "Um, could you check something for me?" I presented my back to her and pulled my braid out of the way. "My neck itches, and I wanted to know if I had a rash or something there."

"Okay." I felt her hands on my shoulders and a light breath on the back of my neck. "Oh…"

"What, what is it?" I wished I could see what was on my neck. "Is it bad?"

"Um…I'm not sure," Mey-Rin replied. "It looks like a large birthmark or a tattoo, since it's very defined. Maybe it's a scar?" I shook my head. I think I would remember getting a cut on the back of my neck, and I had never gotten a tattoo before. "At any rate," she released me and let my braid fall back. "It doesn't look bad."

I nodded. "One last question," I twirled around to face her. "What does it look like?"

Mey-Rin blinked. "Um…it kind of looks like an M, or a bird."

* * *

oOo

* * *

I watched Sebastian as he packed away the starter and placed the main course on the table. My eyes were half narrowed. _An M, or a bird huh?_ I frowned as I stared at him. _That sounds really strange, but his reaction that day…_ I remembered the way he had frozen behind me, as though he had seen something shocking.

And then that puppet man had said that my soul had an essence of purity, but it was being defiled by the mark on my body. the thing on my neck was obviously the mark, but nothing else he said made any sense to me. A sigh blew its way out of my lips.

Ciel sliced into his fish and glared at Prince Soma across from him. "How long do the two of you plan on staying anyway?"

Soma smiled and swallowed his bite of food. "Once we have concluded our business, we will leave." I turned to him curiously.

"Oh yeah," Lau smiled across the table affably. "You said you were looking for someone, didn't you?" I stared at the Chinese man blankly. _Why the hell are you still here anyway? Do you not have a house?_

Ciel clearly also felt the same way. "And why are you still here?" He snapped at Lau.

"Really, I wonder," he went back to eating cheerily. He was the only person at the table that didn't even know why he was there. _Maybe he's here for the free food,_ I thought. _I wouldn't blame him. Sebastian's food is really good._

Soma sobered at Lau's earlier words. "I'm looking for someone," he pulled out a paper and unfolded it. I identified it as the childish drawing of a woman from the day before. "Her name is Meena," he explained. "She was a servant at my castle."

"Sebastian," Ciel signalled to the black-clad butler. "Would you be able to look for her with that?"

I kept my face completely neutral and blank, otherwise I would have scoffed or laughed. _I doubt it. The picture shows absolutely no defining features of the woman in question. It would be difficult to find her with just that_.

I watched Sebastian lean closer to get a better look at the picture in question. "Even for me, that would be…" he caught himself. "I will do my best."

Ciel stabbed a piece of meat with his fork. "So why is this woman in England anyway?"

"Meena was my personal assistant," Prince Soma said. "She was like a wet nurse to me. I have been with her for as long as I can remember. My father and mother didn't pay much attention to me, and I was always alone in the castle…" I felt the first stirrings of pity and empathy in my heart for the prince. So he too knew pain. "But Meena was always by side. However, there was an Englishman who also had his eye on her. He abducted her when I was away from the castle."

Ciel didn't seem impressed by this sad tale. "So you came to England to get a woman back?" He asked. Soma nodded firmly. Ciel sighed and went back to cutting up his food. "Seems like an extravagant trip for one servant."

"_It's not extravagant!_" He suddenly rose from his chair and grabbed Ciel by the arms. "Do you not understand my despair at having Meena taken away from me?" He yelled. "Do you not know-!"

"No, I don't," Ciel cut him off coldly. I stopped in my tracks. When had I moved? "I have no idea, nor do I desire to know, of the despair of something as trivial as that." In that moment, I knew that Ciel had experienced a greater tragedy than that. So had I. Soma had not.

Yet, to him, Meena was his tragedy. But at least he could get her back. I suddenly felt a jab of pain in my chest and I had to lower my head to get myself under control. _Mother, mother…_

I heard a slapping sound, and then footsteps. "There are some things that you can never get back, no matter how hard you struggle. There is also a despair that you can never escape, but you may not understand that though."

Tears formed a clear sheen over my eyes. I heard the door of the room open and shut, and then Soma spoke. "Even so," he sounded close to tears himself. "I have still had enough of being alone in that palace."

_And I have had enough of being on my own,_ I blinked quickly to dispel any lingering tears, and then I began to clean up the table. "Excuse me," I curtsied to Soma and disappeared into the kitchen. _Don't cry,_ I warned myself. _Don't you _dare_ cry!_ I ran a hand over my face quickly, and then I leaned against the counter. I squeezed my eyes shut to hold back the tears, and memories began to play through my head like a movie reel.

Me playing in the streets with the other urchins.

Me hiding in the dark attic while music and voices rose in crescendo downstairs.

Me standing in front of my mother with a knife in hand as a shadow fell over us.

Me standing beside the doctor as he snapped his briefcase shut and shook his head.

Me crying over her pillow.

Me running through the night while voices raged behind me.

_Me…_

It had been just me for a very long time. It had been just me for as long as I could remember. I wiped my face with my sleeve. "My, my…" A shadow fell over me. "You do look a mess when you cry." I blinked as a white-gloved hand brushed against my wet cheek. The tears stilled on my cheeks as I stared up at Sebastian. "Let me assist you…"

I think it was a testament to how stunned I was that I didn't kick him where the sun didn't shine. Instead, I froze as his face got closer to mine. I felt his lips touched my cheek, and I stiffened even more at the gentle touch. I didn't know he could be gentle. His hands cupped my face with tenderness I had not expected to feel from another person, certainly not a demon.

Something warm and slick brushed against my skin: his tongue. He was licking up the tears.

_The hell? _I suddenly regained use of my primary motor skills. I yelped and shoved him away and began furiously scrubbing at the cheek that he had licked with my sleeve. He stepped backwards, licking his lips with a wolfish smile. "Mmm, delicious."

"Why did you do that?!" I yelled at him. I was sure that my face was beyond red. "You're a very creepy person, you know that?"

"I am glad to see that you are no longer crying," Sebastian smiled down at me. I puffed out my cheeks in an annoyed pout. He was right though. "So," he came to stand beside me. "Care to tell me what caused this?"

For a moment, I didn't say anything. "I was just thinking of the past," I finally confessed. "Why do you care though?" I asked quietly, staring at nothing at all. "Do you even care at all?" He was a demon. Could he feel anything except a hunger for souls? Even if he could, did he even care about anything a human would feel?

"I do care." I jumped and turned to stare at him in shock. He smirked back at me. "Demons can feel, you know," he pointed out. "We can love as well."

Why did he tell me that? His eyes never left mine, and he wasn't smiling at all. I stared up at him silently, and then I smiled and nodded. I could wonder about that later, and he had answered my question.

_And he does seem to care about how I feel. _I suddenly flashed back to the night he had held me, the way he had embraced me, the way his body had felt against mine. I suddenly wished my hair wasn't braided up because I could have used it to hide my blushing face behind. Sebastian suddenly leaned forward and touched my cheek. "As much as I would love to stay here," he glanced at the window. It was dark, and snowing heavily outside. "I must be going. One of our guests is on the move."

I blinked as I watched him open the back door, and then I shivered as a gust of cold wind blew into the kitchen. Sebastian didn't even flinch at the sudden drop in temperature. He gave me one last smirk, before flipping himself onto the roof of the house.

For some reason, the only word that came to me at that moment was _show-off._

**A kind-of fluffy ThaliaxSebastian moment there folks! I have not seen many fluffy Sebastian moments around, especially with OC-based stories, and I thought it would be kind of cute to write one. I saw one in **_**A Demon's Happy Ending**_** though, and I thought that the whole mistletoe trick was cute! I can't wait to do my own kiss scene with these two!**


	16. Royal Warrants

**I own nothing whatsoever, other than Thalia and the plot I am currently churning out because I can't keep up with my brain! Thanks for all your reviews! I've decided to add the Circus Ark, and I've already pretty much found a way to link it to Thalia so it all flows pretty well!**

**Royal Warrants**

I made my way to the room where Lau and Ciel were playing a game with cards. For some reason, I felt like I needed to be around Ciel. And, for some reason, he never sent me away or made me feel like I wasn't supposed to be there. He treated me…kind of like he treated Sebastian, only much nicer and with less orders.

Lau looked up when I walked into the room. "Oh, Miss. Maid," he smiled cheerily at me. "Where is your companion, the butler?"

I shrugged and went to stand behind Ciel's chair. "I don't know," I said. "On the roof, most likely. He said something about one of our guests being on the move." Ciel arched an eyebrow, and then he sighed and tossed down his hand of cards. Lau placed his cards down as well, and then he gathered up the card and began to shuffle them again. _I wonder if Ciel knows how to play poker._

It never occurred to me that I shouldn't have wanted to teach a twelve year old a card game meant for gamblers, since I was already playing and betting by the time I was his age.

At that moment, Sebastian's upside-down face appeared in the window. I nearly shrieked, but then I remembered that stranger things had occurred, and would most likely continue to for as long as I was with them. "Young master, he has left the house," he reported.

"Very well," Ciel got to his feet. "Follow–!"

"Take me with you!" We spun around, surprised by the exclamation. Prince Soma was standing in the doorway. I briefly wondered why he didn't seem the _tiniest_ bit surprised at the fact that there was a grown man hanging upside down outside the window. "I know Agni has been sneaking out after I fall asleep. I want to find out what he's doing!"

Ciel stared at him silently for a few seconds, before sighing. "Ugh, fine. You may come along. Just try not to get in the way." Soma frowned, but he nodded firmly. In a few moments, I had grabbed Ciel's winter coat, and mine. It was dark, and probably really cold outside. I was not looking forward to leaving the warmth of the house.

_Ah well_, I wrapped the thick fabric around myself and did the clips in the front. _I can suck it up_. It wasn't like I hadn't been out in colder weather. I buttoned up Ciel's coat as quickly as I could, and then we were off.

It wasn't as cold as I had expected it to be, in spite of the snow. Or, at least, it could have been much colder anyway. We trailed Agni carefully as he wandered through the streets, apparently focused on wherever he was going. He didn't take any shortcuts or anything. Either he didn't know about them, or he didn't care. I suddenly wanted to rip my skirt and run along the rooftops and walls like I had before.

"Hey, Ciel," I nudged the boy beside me. He slid a glance my way. "Can I trail Agni from the roofs?"

He blinked up at me, and then he frowned. "Are you sure you can follow him without giving yourself away?" He arched an eyebrow dubiously. I nodded eagerly. It was a simple matter of crouching and hiding in the shadows. Besides, Agni was clearly too into his thoughts to even consider that he was being followed. "Fine then."

I beamed down at Ciel, saluted cheekily at Sebastian, and then ran to one of the alleys. I latched onto the wall, finding footholds and crevices where there didn't seem to be any, and quickly vaulted myself onto the roof of one of the houses. A feeling of sharp, exhilarated adrenaline snapped through my body.

Just before I launched myself to the next roof, I overheard Lau say something. "She is rather spirited, isn't she?"

_You have no idea, _I smirked and darted off. Agni moved rather quickly, and the whole thing felt somewhat like a game to me. I scrambled along roofs, slid along walls, and crouched behind chimneys. The skirt felt a bit strange around my legs but, apart from that, I felt amazing.

Agni turned into a more affluent neighbourhood filled with large houses and lights. He paused outside one of the gates and peered left and right. He never once looked up, but I still crouched down on all fours into the shadow of the low roof I was balanced on.

Satisfied that no one was watching him, he knocked on the gate and quickly slipped into the compound. Once I was sure he was gone, I stood up. I spotted Sebastian and the others a few metres away, behind the wall of the neighbouring house. I scurried down from the roof to land on the wall just above them.

When I was almost right over them, I overheard a Lau speak. "Do you think the pretty little maid got lost?" He wondered. I twitched at being referred to in such a way by _him_ of all people. Ciel scoffed at him, but he didn't seem convinced of his own scorn. I pouted and sighed. _Oh Ciel, have more faith in me. I survived on these streets for nearly five years._

I jumped down from the wall, feeling pleased with the startled looks on their faces. "For your information," I hissed quietly at them. "I didn't get lost." Ciel looked surprised by my sudden appearance, as did Prince Soma and Lau, although the latter regarded me like I was the rabbit a magician had pulled out of his hat. I smiled at Ciel. "I told you I could do this."

He made a huffing sound, and then reached out to tug at my skirt. "You've also managed to tear your uniform," he noted dryly. There was a rather thin, long rip at the side of my skirt. "Well done, either way. I suppose you are rather useful as more than a simple maid." I wasn't sure whether to feel insulted or happy with his words, so I just shrugged and smiled a half-smile.

Lau turned back to the large mansion. "Whose residence is this?" He quizzed.

"A man who imports all the Indian goods he can get his hands on," Ciel replied. "His name is Harold West-Jebb. His business is in coffee houses and emporiums. I met him once," Ciel concluded. "He is nothing more than a detestable rogue."

I frowned at the house as Sebastian spoke up. "Some coffee houses were caught up in the inverted hanging incidents," he said. "However, no harm befell Mr. West as he was coincidentally away that day."

"Coincidentally?" Lau smiled.

I scoffed. "Coincidentally my foot," I snapped (I had to watch my swearing around Ciel). _He's the one behind all these hangings, isn't he? Is Agni working for him willingly, or is he being forced?_ I hoped to god that it was the latter. I quite liked Agni.

Ciel inclined his head towards the butler. "Shall we take a look, then?"

"Understood," Sebastian bowed. He swiftly grabbed Ciel around the waist and leaped over the wall, leaving the rest of us behind on the other side. _Hey, don't just leave us out here! _I scowled and half-scurried, half-vaulted over the wall within a matter of seconds. _Oh yeah, _I realised when my feet hit the snow on the other side, _Lau and Soma are still there…_ I considered the consequences of leaving them versus helping the two of them over. _Ugh, fine… _I groaned and opted to help them over. If nothing else, at least I'd accumulate some great karma points.

It took a lot of huffing, and puffing, and heaving, but finally, the two men were inside the compound. We caught up with Ciel and Sebastian, and slipped into the house via the back door. We made our way through the house like a bunch of highly shady individuals, which we were, and eventually found the room whish held Agni and this West person.

The door opened a crack and we peered in to hear West say something. "How about relaxing with a glass of Scotch?" He offered. "It's a high quality Scotch I bought from Justin and Brookes, who hold a Royal warrant."

Agni didn't move to take the proffered glass, or to acknowledge West in the least. He just sat in the room like a statue, staring at something or nothing in a fixed point.

The man didn't seem put out by this at all. He shrugged and began to down his own glass. "The plan up until now has been perfect," he laughed. "Well done Agni," he walked around the couch to stand in front of Agni. I caught a glimpse of his face now. Maybe it was the shadows, or just him, but he looked positively evil. "You don't have to cause anymore accident. I've rid myself of my main rivals now."

He was holding a newspaper, which he tossed onto the seat beside Agni with a pleased smirk. I felt sick. So Sebastian had been right about Agni. He was the one behind the hangings. Still, something didn't quite add up. Why would he be doing this behind Soma's back? The prince was a spoiled brat, but Agni seemed to be the only one who genuinely cared for him.

_Unless it was all an act. _But I doubted that. I flinched for Agni as West suddenly leaned forward and grabbed Agni's bandaged hand. "With your 'Right Hand of God', the Royal warrant is as good as mine." He looked even more evil now, and I suddenly wanted to jump in and slap his hand away from Agni.

"Royal warrant?" Ciel murmured beside me. "Ah, so that's what this is about."

Agni pulled away from West and bowed his head. "If I can complete this task," he began hesitantly. "Can Meena..." _Meena?_

Prince Soma jerked at the mention of the name, and I didn't have enough time to grab him before he shoved the door open and flew into the room. "Meena?" He yelled at the men. "You know where Meena is?"

Agni leaped to his feet, looking both shocked and pained. "Prince!"

"Ah crap," I hissed, and then I reached forward and yanked Ciel backwards into my arms and into the shadows at the side of the door. "Nope, no way. You stay _here_," I whispered to him. "There's already too much drama going on in there already. You would just get in the way."

Sebastian nodded, clapping a hand over Ciel's mouth. "Besides, our faces are well known. We should just sit back and watch the events as they unfold."

Some flew at Agni and grabbed his collar. "Agni, you knew where Meena was?" He repeated, looking angry enough to shake the other man. I could see the look on Agni's face. It was clear that he was terrified of his Master's anger, and not because Soma was stronger than him, but because he clearly loved and idolized the young man. For his Prince to be angry with him was like his world ending.

My gaze swept to the right as West arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Ah, so that's your master?"

Soma stopped glaring at Agni and turned his anger on the blonde man. "You're the one who took Meena, aren't you?" He snarled. "Agni, rough this man up!" He ordered.

A second passed. Another, and then another. My gaze slipped back to Agni. The man stood still, physically shaking with the effort to not do what Soma wanted him to. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead and his teeth were gritted. He looked like he was in pain. What was holding him back?

Soma blinked, confused and mildly concerned. "Agni, what's wrong?" He stared at the taller man.

Ciel sighed, evidently bored with the events going on inside the room. "Well, for now, let's get Prince Stupid out of here."

"But they know your identities," Lau pointed out.

I shrugged. "Well, West doesn't really know _me_," I pointed out. "I'm still a nonentity. He's probably seen Sebastian with Ciel before though."

Sebastian smirked and placed his hand to his chest. "Leave it to me. Thalia?" I straightened and turned to him with a hand on my hip. Sebastian gestured to the corridor we had just come down. "Could you fetch me one of those stuffed heads in the hallway?"

Twenty seconds later, I was trying not to laugh as Sebastian stared at me from underneath the head of a deer. I had pulled up my cloak to cover the lower part of my face, and pulled up the hood to hide the unique colour of my hair.

"Agni," West was smirking when we peered into the room again. "Strike this _prince_ and make him shut up!" My eyes widened in shock as Agni began to tremble even more violently. His fists clenched and he shut his eyes like he could block everything out. "Agni!"

Suddenly, he broke. Agni raised his arm, eyes wide and unseeing, mouth pulled back into an angry shout. His right arm lifted, poised to strike against the very man he had sworn to protect. The look on Soma's face was one of acute shock.

That was when two things happened. One, Sebastian jumped into the room with his deer mask and blocked Agni's arm as it came down. As he did that, I ran into the room and hefted Soma out of the way. He blinked at me. "Thalia?" He tilted his head to look behind me. "Why does the butler have a deer mask on?"

I sweatdropped and sighed. "It's a long story." He wasn't the only one that was confused. Both Agni and West seemed to have momentarily forgotten about attacking Soma and were staring, transfixed, at the strange half-deer, half-man that had appeared in the middle of the room.

"What the heck!?" West screamed. "Is this guy the abominable deer man or something?" _Let's just go with 'or something'_. "And who is that?" He turned to stare at me. "The accomplice?"

I nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, let's also just go with that."

Sebastian bowed politely. "I am Deer," he introduced himself. "I'm here to pick up the Prince." I coughed to hide my barely repressed snickers.

"Agni, they might be enemy spies!" West yelled.

"Spies?" I blinked and looked at Soma blankly. "No, we're just here to pick up our prince. He got out of the house again," I patted Soma on the shoulder a bit harder than necessary because I was still kind of pissed off at him. He winced with every pat.

Sebastian raised a hand. "I'm simply just one hell of a deer." I bit my bottom lip underneath my cloak. _Hold it in, _I warned myself. _Hold in the laughter. Wait until you're home and then you can let it all out._

At any rate, West didn't seem to care too much for me or Sebastian in his deer mask. "Agni, kill them!" Agni froze at that command, and West snarled at him. "Do you want that promise to go up in smoke?" _Promise?_ I stared at Agni. _What promise?_

He began to shake, fists clenched, eyes shut, and then he suddenly fell to his knees. He was crying, but the tears were dark against his skin. I realised, with a sickened jolt, that those were tears of blood. The effort it was taking him to not obey Soma, to go _against_ Soma, was literally killing him. I had never seen such actual devotion in my life.

"I have only one god and master," he ground out the words on pained sobs. "And I decided I would not swing my fists for anyone but him. My prince," his eyes suddenly snapped open. "Please forgive me for the sins I am about to commit against you!" He suddenly ripped off the bandages on his right hand and dashed at us, eyes wide and pupiless.

"Oh dear," I grabbed Soma, relying now on my speed and strength. "I believe it's time for us to leave." I leaped out of the way with Soma as Sebastian diverted the blows away from us. I heard a lot of yelling, and a lot of glass shattering. I hoped we did some good damage to this guy's room before we left.

I suddenly heard Ciel's voice. "Oi, you two!" He called out. "This uproar will draw attention. Grab the kid and let's go!" _Kid? Oh, you mean Soma!_ He is older than you are though.

Sebastian nodded. "Understood." I nodded as well and dashed to the window. We were somewhere on the first floor, not too far from the ground.

Wood splintered in the room, and I turned to see Sebastian was still fending off a glowing-blue-aura-d Agni. Making a quick decision, I took a few steps backwards and wrapped an arm around Soma's waist. "Uh, I've never done this before, so you might wanna close your eyes." I didn't wait for him to voice out his fears, and instead leaped at the glass, curling my body to increase impact and protect my face from the shards.

I wasn't lying about having never done something like that. From the time I was fourteen and I had escaped from that prison, I had always been stronger than the people around me, and much faster. However, I cannot explain anything at the moment. Certainly not at this moment, when I'm describing what it felt like to jump out of a first floor window.

Anyway, for a moment, everything around me froze, and I could see the snowflakes and the angles on the glass shards around us. And then, the moment was gone, and I was falling feet first to the ground. Luckily, it had been snowing rather heavily, and the layer of snow on the ground softened the impact. I let my knees fold as I hit the ground in so that the shock would travel up and out of my body, and not cause me to break my ankles.

I got my feet shakily and made my way towards Ciel and Lau. _Oh my god, I just jumped out a first floor window! _The realisation of what I'd done was beginning to hit me. For a moment, I felt adrenaline-based euphoria, and then it _really_ hit me. _HOLY CRAP I JUST JUMPED OUT OF A FIRST FLOOR WINDOW WITH A MAN ON MY SHOULDER WHAT THE ACTUAL FRICK AM I NUTS? _

A second later, Sebastian landed beside me, and he caught me in the middle of my breakdown. "Thalia?"

"Huh?" I blinked several times and looked up at him. "Yeah, what is it?" At least he had taken of the deer head mask now.

Sebastian pointed to the prince on my shoulder. "I believe the prince has fainted."

**Yes, Thalia is strong. No, this isn't just something I threw in there for the purpose of making her seem Mary Sue-ish or just somewhat useful. I'd always wanted her to be strong, and I have a good reason. There is a reason I haven't divulged her full backstory yet, because it is going to be epic, and it will tie to many things okay?**

**Please review if you can!**


	17. How to Traumatize Your Prince

**This chapter is going to have a bit of Thalia-history in it (finally!). And thank you for all the nice reviews! You guys are so awesome and your reviews make me wanna write and update!**

**I own nothing except Thalia and her traumatic past.**

**How to Traumatize Your Prince**

Soma was still unconscious by the time we returned to the mansion, but he was beginning to come round. I, on the other hand, was being regarded by both Ciel and Sebastian as though I was some sort of test subject that had done something incredibly fascinating and now needed to be dissected so they could find out exactly _how_. I had decided that the best thing to do was not look at either of them, since I was sure to get grilled about it later.

Ciel was curious about me, my backstory, where I had come from. I got the feeling that he was allowing me some rare privilege by not grilling me over a Sebastian-hot-coal fire and forcing me to spill my guts out onto the expensive carpet, but I knew it wouldn't last. He wanted to know, and I kind of owed it to him didn't I?

How I had become like this, the six months that had changed me both inside and out, were not memories I was particularly fond of. _But maybe telling someone would help me reconcile with it, _I thought. _I could tell Ciel, since I'm almost certain we went through the same thing._ The young earl clearly hadn't been through the exact same process I had though.

Soma, Ciel and Lau were in the main room. I was hanging around in a shadowy corner of the hallway outside the kitchen, suddenly unsure of what to do with myself. The euphoria of my actions had fled, replaced by mind numbing be anxiety.

I heard the sound of footsteps coming closer, and then a pair of polished black shoes and black-clad legs appeared in my field of vision. Sebastian paused in front of me. "I suppose you already know what I'm going to ask, don't you?" I nodded quietly, too absorbed in my thoughts and emotions to answer properly. "Will you answer them?"

My shoulders lifted up in a shrug. "I guess. You're the only one here, anyway."

Sebastian was really not my idea of an ideal confidant. He was definitely not the first person I would have chosen to willingly spill my guts to, but the least he could do was sit there and let me talk.

I followed him into the kitchen and hefted myself up onto one of the counters while he busied himself with preparations for a late night snack. "Where to start..." I hummed lightly as Sebastian began to boil water to make tea.

He turned to me briefly, holding the tin of tea in one hand. "The beginning is usually a good place to begin," he pointed out dryly.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'll start from when I want to start, which is somewhere in the middle," I crossed one leg over the other and stared at the ceiling. "It was some time in February...

The memories rushed back. I had only just turned thirteen. My mother had just died a few weeks ago, and I'd had to run away to avoid…well, to avoid the more unfortunate things that had been waiting for me.

I rubbed the ring through my shirt and let myself slip back into the past. "One day, a woman found me sleeping in an alleyway and she offered to adopt me. She seemed very nice and sweet, and definitely she had to be some sort of saint to want someone like _me_." Sebastian chuckled lightly. I managed a tiny smile, which quickly disappeared. "In the carriage, she offered me a drink that put me to sleep. When I woke up, I was in a steel cage, and there were people wearing strange masks standing around me."

The memories began to get darker, blacker, redder, more strewn with blood. I could feel myself losing touch with the present as I began to sink back into the _then_.

"They cut me, branded me. Sometimes, they would dunk me into vats of some sort of liquid and tell me that I shouldn't fight it. They told me that what they were doing would purify my soul. Instead, they showed me a hell that I can never forget."

_Fire. Blood. Red. White. Skin. Black, featureless eyes behind red and white masks._

"I was locked away for six months. A few days after my fourteenth birthday, they took me out of the cage and chained me down on an altar," I remembered the shape carved into the ceiling, the stained glass windows above me, feel of cold granite against my back and heavy iron around my wrists. "One of them forced me to drink a chalice of something." I remembered the thick, bitter, coppery taste of the drink. "It _burned_."

The pain had struck immediately, a horrible, sulphur-and-brimstone heat that had spread throughout my body like a wildfire. I remember screaming, and the sound of others screaming, and a great light, and then darkness.

I blinked as I came back to the present. "When I came to, everyone around me was dead. The chains holding me were broken, almost like they had been torn out. Most likely by me. My hair was also this way," I ran a hand over my braid with a sad sort of smile. Sebastian was staring at me with wide eyes. "So," I shrugged. "There you go. Now you know my history. I hope this has alleviated your curiousity somewhat."

**No One's POV**

Sebastian stared at the girl, no, the woman in front of him. Not because he recognised her experience as being the same as the young master's, although that was sure to be of interest to Ciel, but because he knew _exactly_ what those people had been trying to do to her.

Her hair was a hint, as was what that puppet had said in the tower, but now that he had her tale, he was certain of his theory. He couldn't help the pleased smirk that curved his lips, and he had to turn away to hide it. He also knew _exactly _why they had failed in their experiment.

She was strong, he thought. She had to be, to have survived that and come out alive and unchanged. Her eyes were sad and distant, but there was a hard determination in them. Still, he couldn't help the sudden surge of fury that rolled over him as he thought of how painfully she had been abused. She still hadn't told him where the scar on her arm had come from, but he refrained from asking. He sensed that she was still a bit vulnerable, and to make her slip back into a painful memory after just coming out of one would be cruel.

_But I am a demon,_ the thought alighted in his head. _Isn't it in my nature to be sadistic?_ But he didn't want to take pleasure in her pain. Unless, of course, it was to give her pleasure so intense that it hurt in the most delicious of ways.

Sebastian exhaled quietly and tried not to let his eyes slip back into their demonic form. It would not do to think of such things now, especially when the woman in question was right behind him, and the young master was expecting his tea. "Thalia…" She snapped to attention and stared at him out of dark, garnet-red eyes. He held out the tray on which was a small plate filled with small biscuits. "Could you carry this for me?"

She nodded quickly. Her braid fell over her shoulder as she hopped down from the table and took the tray from him. When she turned to leave the kitchen, he focused on the dark tattoo-like mark that snaked across the skin on the back of her neck.

His mark.

His mate.

His eyes glowed with energy as they exited the kitchen.

oOo

You know, I think talking to Sebastian actually helped. I had never told anyone that story before. telling him somehow made it more real, and less like a private nightmare. I smiled to myself as we made our way to the parlour.

Soma was fully awake by the time we entered the room, and he also seemed to have recovered a bit from the shock of Agni's betrayal. He did jerk slightly when I came into the room, and then proceeded to give me a confused onceover. I placed the plate of biscuits on the table, a little closer to Ciel than everyone else since he was the host, and he liked sweet things. He turned his head to regard me quietly, and I smiled back before retreating.

"He far surpassed the scope of a human back there," Lau commented over his tea.

Soma stopped staring at me, and leaned back in his chair. "That was the concentration technique known as _samadhi_," he explained dolefully. "Once he gets like that, no one can touch him."

"_Samadhi_?" Ciel repeated curiously.

"It's a type of trance state," Sebastian said. "Through pure devotion to a master, such as Prince Soma, people are able to bring forth great amounts of power. It is something we lack, since it is born of total faith, pure love and complete trust in one's master."

_Of course you'd know about this, wouldn't you?_ I turned back to the prince. "Then why would he betray me?" Soma ground out. "Why does everyone around me disappear?" He suddenly pounded the table with his fists and then, in a fit of childish temper, swept the whole china tea set off the table.

"Hey!" Ciel yelled. I scowled angrily. _You're upset, that's understandable, but try not to break shit that isn't yours just because you're having a temper tantrum!_ I quickly grabbed a broom and dustpan from the kitchen and swept the shattered pieces of china out of the way and into the dustpan. The spilled milk and sugar would have to wait though.

Soma wasn't listening. He was too wrapped up in his own private grief to care about anything else. "Why is it?" He clenched his eyes shut to hold back tears. "Why?" I took a step out of the way as he suddenly rushed from the room and slammed the door behind himself.

Sebastian looked over at the bits of broken tea set in the dustpan. "Oh dear," he exhaled a disappointed breath of air. "I brought out that Haviland tea set because I thought it suited you so well, young master," he suddenly smiled coldly. "It may be a good idea for him to be…_re-disciplined._"

A matching smile curved Ciel's lips. I sweatdropped slightly at them. "Why did that come out sounding so very, very evil?" I placed my hands on my hips and stared at the man in front of me.

He stared back at me innocently. "I have no idea what you mean, Thalia," he said. "I am only acting in the best possibly way for my young master."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what you say," I arched an eyebrow at him. "Nothing too traumatizing, right? We want him _scared_, not practically comatose."

Sebastian smirked at me, and bowed. "Have some faith in me, Thalia. What kind of butler would I be if I could not even do this?" As always, that question had the same answer: _an ordinary one._ But then Sebastian was anything but ordinary. "Now, shouldn't you be cleaning that up?" He pointed to the spilled milk and sugar on the carpet.

I scowled and left the room to grab a rag, a sponge, and a bowl of soapy water from the kitchen. This was going to take a lot of soap, patience and elbow-grease.

oOo

Before heading upstairs to perform his task of re-disciplining Prince Soma, Sebastian had asked me if there was anything I wanted to say to the young prince. I said no, because I had a feeling Sebastian and Ciel would be enough to decimate any trace of pride and happiness he had left, so my presence wasn't necessary anyway.

They left me scrubbing away in the parlour. Sometime later, approximately twenty-five minutes later, I heard the door of Prince Soma's room open. They had given him time to hide upstairs, enough time to curl up under his covers (presumably that was what he was doing at the moment), before Sebastian came and ripped his makeshift sanctuary away.

Curiousity took hold of me, and I made my way up the stairs and into the hallway where Soma's room was. I could hear Sebastian speaking to him in a low, mocking tone of voice.

"_Lost?_" His voice was cold and derisive. "_You haven't lost anything. You never had it in the first place. Status given to you by your parents, a castle given to you by your parents, servants, wealth_," he listed them out. "_All of it was handed to you by your parents. From the very beginning, you have never had a single thing that was yours. Isn't that right?_"

I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall. These were hard truths, but they were truths that he needed to hear. Soma didn't know what it was like to struggle, to fight tooth and nail to survive. He didn't know what it was like to truly _own_ something, to have fought for something. Agni had always been the one to do that for him.

"_They said they would always be there for me,_" his response was pained.

I listened to Sebastian's laugh through the wall. "_Obviously that was simply lip-service,_" he said. "_No one works for another without expecting something in return. Even in the slums, a three-year-old can tell you that. No one has ever loved you._"

Now _that_ was just cruel. Agni had loved Soma. Even when he had attacked us, I saw how broken he was inside. To go against Soma had fractured something inside him.

I heard footsteps, and Ciel appeared in front of me. "Oh?" He smirked up at me. "Were you eavesdropping?" I nodded. Ladies weren't supposed to eavesdrop, but I was not a lady so I didn't feel bad. Ciel clicked his tongue and pushed the door of the room open. "Let's leave it at that, Sebastian."

Sebastian blinked, surprised by Ciel's appearance. "Young master?" And then he spotted me in the corner.

Ciel leaned against the doorframe. "I might have become like him as well," he mused, more to himself than to anyone else. "If not for that month." I turned to Ciel enquiringly.

So did Soma. "What month?" He asked.

"I was forced to taste the humiliation of having my house burned, my family killed, and being treated as less than a barn animal," his lips twisted in a harsh smirk. "I was a powerless child, much like you are now. But I returned here in order to bestow the same pain and shame upon those who tortured me."

As he continued to speak, I could only stare at Ciel with a mix of awe and sadness. I suddenly felt like I had a link with Ciel, a quiet bond between us that he was currently unaware of. I wanted to reach out and smooth his fingers out from his tightly clenched first, but I knew what it symbolised.

Pride. Determination. Dignity. Rage.

"Even if I am flung into the depths of despair, if there is even a spider's thread that I can use to climb out, I will grab hold of it and never give up," Ciel stared at Soma hard. "We humans have the strength to do that. However," he shrugged and folded his arms. "Whether to do so or not up to each person. Now," he suddenly straightened and turned to leave the room. "Enough with this pointless babble. Sebastian, Thalia, I have something I need to discuss with the two of you. Come."

_I'm just realising this,_ I thought as I stared at the back of Ciel's head. _But Ciel is actually very wise for his age, isn't he?_ I suppose there are certain events that we all go through that change us and shape who we are.

We hadn't taken but a few steps down the corridor when we heard Soma come out of his room. "Ciel!" We stopped. Ciel inclined his head slightly to indicate that he was listening. "You are right," Soma said. "I am almost 17, but I am totally naïve and idiotic compared to you!"

"At least he knows that now," I murmured under my breath. Sebastian glanced at me amusedly.

"I have been spoiled all my life because of who my parents are," the prince continued. "Even though I knew Agni was troubled, I didn't hear him out. But now I want to see them both and found out why they left me! So please, will you come with me-!"

"I refuse." I fought the urge to snicker at Ciel's reply. Refusal at point-blank range. "There's no way I'm dragging around the weight of a naïve idiot like you around. Though," he turned to leave. "I suppose the door to the living room isn't locked."

Soma stared, as though working out what Ciel was implying, and then he beamed and glomped the kid. "Ciel!"

"_Gack!_"

He stepped backwards and clasped his hands together in a sign of penitence. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you earlier," he apologised genuinely. I folded my arms across my chest when he turned to me. "I never thanked you for saving me earlier," he said humbly. "I'm truly sorry I caused you extra work with my outburst."

"That's okay," I smiled and waved a hand to show that it was alright. "I'm used to having to clean up after Bard and Mey-Rin."

He returned my smile, and then turned to Sebastian. He then paled, and quickly jumped behind me to put distance between him and the demon. Yeah, like _I _was adequate protection. "Um, I want to say sorry to you as well…" The poor kid was shaking. How badly had Sebastian traumatized him anyway?

Sebastian smirked, clearly pleased with the outcome of his _re-discipline_. "It's fine," he said with a smile. "This is rather interesting."

As we continued on our way to the dining room, Soma continued to cling to me, making sure that I was always between him and Sebastian. The demon in question seemed to take special care to keep next to me, if only to terrify Soma even more.

For some reason, Lau was still around when we got downstairs. I wondered where he had gone before. He had disappeared when I had started cleaning the carpet. Honestly, I'd hoped he'd gone home. But nope, he was still here.

Sebastian brought out a new tea set and served a fresh pot of tea, while I sat and balanced myself on the arm of Ciel's chair while he spoke. "To think that West was after the Royal Warrant," he frowned. "Well, I suppose that's something that detestable rogue would think of."

Soma cocked his head to the side curiously. "What exactly is a Royal Warrant?" He asked as Sebastian placed a teacup next to him. He immediately flinched and cowered as far from him as possible. Sebastian stared at him innocently, like he had no idea why the prince suddenly seemed so jumpy around him.

I rolled my eyes at them, and turned to Lau. "It's an endorsement given by the royal family to shops that they like," he explained. "A Royal Warrant is the British seal of approval."

Sebastian straightened. "A week from now," he said. "There will be a curry contest held at the Crystal Palace."

Soma's eyes widened. "Curry?"

"Yes," Sebastian nodded. "According to rumours, the queen – a famed curry lover – may also come to observe the competition."

Ciel scoffed. "Mere rumours," he brushed them aside. "Her majesty rarely makes public appearance since the death of her husband, prince Albert." I hissed quietly, derisively. _So she just sits inside that palace and wallows in her misery?_

"What does curry have to do with everything that has occurred?" Soma asked. I was curious about that too.

Ciel crossed his legs and leaned his cheek against a fist. "The main dish served at West's coffee house is curry," he said plainly. "If he wins the warrant, his sales will undoubtedly go up. The men involved in the inverted hanging incidents would also have been participants in the contest."

My eyes widened. "You're saying he had Agni carry out all those incidents to reduce the competition?"

Ciel nodded. "He then used the message to make it seem as though the incidents were carried out by Indians who were angry with England. Agni probably went along with the plan in order to save Meena, for the sake of his god."

"Eh?" Soma stared at the sheet of paper Ciel pushed in front of him. It was the message that had been stuck on the front of one of the hanging men. The crudely drawn mouth with the tongue sticking out was there.

"Speaking of gods," Ciel said. "One of your gods, Kali, has her tongue sticking out. Since Agni wrote this, and his god is you, he must have done all of this for your sake. He's probably written all of his prayers and apologies there."

My head swung to Sebastian when he spoke. "Even though you're both apart, Agni still believes and lives for you," he smiled. "You really do have a wonderful servant, don't you?"

Soma gripped the paper tightly. "Agni..."

"Oh well!" Lau suddenly clapped his hands together cheerfully. "All's well that ends well! We shouldn't get involved any further." _You have nothing to do with this,_ I stared at him blankly. _No one knows why you're still here._ "Let's just leave this to Scotland Yard."

Soma gaped at Lau. "But what will happen to Agni and Meena?"

"Who knows?" The Chinese man smiled blithely.

I glared at him. "Please don't make such useless comments," I deadpanned. He just made a sound and continued smiling.

Ciel gave me a look, which I returned with an innocent _what-I didn't-do-anything_ expression. It wasn't my fault Lau got on my nerves. He got on Ciel's nerves too. "There is no underworld involvement," he said, looking away from me. "So it has nothing to do with me." I sweatdropped at Ciel's blunt attitude. "However," he smirked and his gaze slid back to me. "I _was_ called out to London for this idiotic case. I should be compensated, don't you think?"

I grinned back at him. "That sounds perfectly right, young master." _Yay! More fun time!_

"Luckily," he continued. "All of the famous other curry shops have been knocked out of the competition by West. If the Phantomhive Company participates in the contest and beats West, we'll receive the Royal Warrant. I'd been considering expanding into the food industry anyway."

I had to restrain myself from hugging Ciel right there and then. _I love the way this kid's mind works!_

And then Lau had to speak. "But there's only one week left, right?" He quizzed. "Will you be able to get the specialists and machinery needed to make the curry in time?"

Ciel smirked. "I don't need any of that," he looked up at the butler on the other side of the chair. "Right, Sebastian?" _Yeah, _I rolled my eyes. _Because Sebastian can do pretty much everything._ Even make curry.

Sebastian bowed slightly. "It is only natural for someone who serves under the Phantomhive family to be able to do this," he said. "I will obtain the Royal Warrant without fa-!"

"That's impossible," Soma interrupted. I blinked and turned to him curiously. Had he recovered from his Sebastian-induced trauma already? Well that was fast.

Sebastian turned to stare at him and he flinched backwards. _Guess not,_ I sighed quietly, before focusing on Soma. "What do you mean by '_that's impossible'_?" I asked Soma. I mean, this was Sebastian we were talking about. If he said he was going to do something, he would definitely do it, no matter how physically impossible it seemed.

"There's no way you can win," Soma leaned back in his chair. "They have Agni. And he has the goddess Kali's right hand!"

I arched an eyebrow at him. "So what's your point?"

Ciel nodded. "It's true that Agni's prowess as a fighter is quite formidable," he conceded. "But this time we are dealing with the culinary arts."

"_That's_ why I'm saying it!" Soma insisted. He then explained to us Agni's miraculous skills with creating curry from a bunch of random spices, the difficulty in doing it. I listened with interest, as did Sebastian and Ciel. "I have never tasted a more delicious curry than Agni's," Soma finally concluded.

I pouted. "Well that's a bit of a downer," I glanced at Ciel and Sebastian. "What do you guys think?"

Sebastian however, did not look at all annoyed by this bit of information whatsoever. He put a hand to his chin with a smile. "Well, that does sound like a challenge, doesn't it? Still," he smirked. "I believe I can handle it."


End file.
